MANSFIELD, Conn — A lawsuit between the University of Connecticut and members of its women's rowing team members was settled on Wednesday.
The case was settled and dismissed voluntarily in court on Wednesday, attorney Felice Duffy confirmed to FOX61. The team accused UConn of violating Title IX when it cut the program, saying it "failed to effectively accompany Plaintiffs’ interests and abilities and provide equal athletic participation opportunities."
The lawsuit also claimed UConn did not treat the team equally compared to the men's teams and failed to provide financial assistance to members of each gender in proportion to the number of students of each gender participating in athletics.
The settlement includes two joint monitors to do an audit of UConn's program, regarding Title IX, and monitoring of the program through May 30, 2026.
"This makes sense for everybody," said Duffy. "It's good for the students, for the team, it's good for the university."
"The university is pleased we were able to resolve this litigation and arrive at a settlement. Our focus is on supporting this program and moving it forward," said Stephanie Reitz, spokesperson for the University of Connecticut.
The agreement calls for the university to maintain 20 scholarships through the Spring 2026 season.
The agreement also calls for upgrades for the women’s rowing program boathouse or to provide an alternative boathouse that is similar or better, as well as upgrades in training equipment and a locker room.
The agreement also says UConn must agree to let members of the rowing team travel to Florida for a winter training trip and for one competition trip in the spring for the next three years if the Head Rowing Coach has requested such trips.
Increased media coverage is also requested, with a minimum of 10 social media posts per year to be consistent with other UConn athletic programs, the settlement claims.
The Women's Rowing program was one of the teams initially cut from the university's budget in Summer 2020. The federal lawsuit alleging that the program elimination violates Title IX was filed in April 2021. The team was reinstated into its athletic program in July 2021.
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