Court Finds Brown U. in Violation of Title IX

Brown University must restore its women's gymnastics and volleyball teams, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Court of Boston ruled Friday.

Brown had cut the two women's teams from the program for financial reasons, and women athletes took their school to court. The court ruled that the university had violated Title IX, a 1972 law that mandates "equal opportunity" for women and men in intercollegiate athletics.

The decision comes at a time when Department of Athletics officials at Harvard have come under fire for their treatment of women's teams. A recent report showed that the University spends more than twice as much money on its men's teams as it does on its women's squads.

Some of Harvard's women athletes and coaches, who have been critical of University policy, said they were pleased with the Brown verdict yesterday.

"It is about time that something has been done," said Heather L. Clark '96, a member of the novice crew team. "Brown in particular hasn't had a very strong policy in women's athletics."

Women's varsity lacrosse coach Carole Kleinfelder said she hoped the ruling, combined with a recent Stanford University decision to allot an additional $1 million annually to women's sports, will lead Harvard to increase its support of women's teams.

"I think this will give schools the impetus to get their house in order," Kleinfelder said. "This will help the Harvard administration become proactive."

But some women athletes at Harvard said they were pessimistic about achieving equal opportunity with their male counterparts in the near future. The athletes said the University will have to undertake drastic reforms to achieve parity.

Harvard's athletic department "will stay the same as long as there are men running the program and the athletic directors are men," said former lacrosse player Rachel L. Schultz '93.

Schultz said inequities between men's and women's sports will continue unless more women become coaches and athletic directors.

"It won't change, due to the lack of women coaches, athletic directors, and women alumni," she said.

Clark said women athletes need to support each other more in order to gain greater funding and support from the athletic department. "Stronger solidarity among women athletes is needed," she said.

Schultz said the unequal treatment of women athletes is unacceptable anywhere, but is especially so at the Ivy League schools where men's sports do not produce huge revenues like at other universities.

"I think that it's very important for men's and women's athletics at the intercollegiate level to stay equal," said Schultz. "People overestimate the importance of sports. It should just be a part of the Ivy League experience and everyone should have an equal opportunity.

Schultz said inequities between men's and women's sports will continue unless more women become coaches and athletic directors.

"It won't change, due to the lack of women coaches, athletic directors, and women alumni," she said.

Clark said women athletes need to support each other more in order to gain greater funding and support from the athletic department. "Stronger solidarity among women athletes is needed," she said.

Schultz said the unequal treatment of women athletes is unacceptable anywhere, but is especially so at the Ivy League schools where men's sports do not produce huge revenues like at other universities.

"I think that it's very important for men's and women's athletics at the intercollegiate level to stay equal," said Schultz. "People overestimate the importance of sports. It should just be a part of the Ivy League experience and everyone should have an equal opportunity.