The NCAA News - News and Features

May 26, 1997

Title IX Ticker - Judge accepts LSU's plan for Title IX compliance

Louisiana State University's plan to remedy discrimination in its athletics programs has been accepted by the federal judge assigned to the case.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty ruled last week that the plan presented by the school "places LSU on the road to compliance with those provisions of Title IX which this court found it to have violated."

In January 1996, Doherty ruled that LSU violated the federal statute by not accommodating the interests and abilities of its women athletes and ordered the university to present a plan for program compliance.

The suit against LSU was filed in March 1994 by three members of the club women's soccer team and two women's softball players. The women wanted the university to elevate soccer to varsity status for fall 1994 and to establish women's softball in 1995 instead of 1996 as planned.

The university submitted its plan in April. Doherty filed her written response to the plan in early May.

In the written order, Doherty wrote that "this court repeatedly declared its belief that it is not the proper role of this court, nor a requirement of the statute, for this court to engage in micro management of LSU's athletics department." But she noted it is her duty to ensure that LSU complies with Title IX provisions.

Doherty also commended LSU's hiring of Debbie Corum to oversee women's athletics.

"This court also notes with approval the promotion and press coverage LSU has obtained for its existing and newly formed teams of women athletes," Doherty wrote. "This was an area, along with the overall mindset which Ms. Corum should correct, of which this court made particular note as hampering LSU's involvement with its female students and athletes."

An earlier requirement for reports from the softball and soccer teams and Corum or her successor was amended to make the reports confidential. Doherty said making the reports confidential would address the plaintiffs' concerns that LSU coaches might not feel comfortable speaking their minds in reports that the university's administration would read.

Doherty wrote that LSU had addressed each area she noted in her original ruling.

"This court finds that LSU's commitment to the promotion and the support of its fastpitch softball and soccer teams for women is meaningful and a long-term one," she wrote.

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USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association have formed a joint task force to protect a sport they believe is being threatened with elimination because of efforts by schools to comply with Title IX.

The goal of the task force is to eliminate quotas as a way to develop equal opportunities in sports. The groups are concerned that many colleges are dropping men's sports rather than adding women's sports. Wrestling, with no female counterpart, has been a primary target, the wrestling groups feel.

In 1972, there were 777 college wrestling programs. According to USA Wrestling, by the end of 1996, only 315 colleges had varsity wrestling programs.

The International Olympic Committee also has consolidated weight classes for the 2000 Olympic Games into eight classes, down from 10, thus reducing the number of wrestlers. The action is part of an effort to keep the number of athletes at the Olympics below 10,000.

USA Wrestling noted that while college programs are dwindling, its membership is growing. Since 1989, its membership has increased by 50,000 to 139,497.

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Howard University is working to expand its women's sports programs and comply with Title IX without cutting men's teams or scholarships.

A recent study showed that in 1995-96, 31 percent of the student-athletes at Howard were females, compared to 62 percent of the university's undergraduate population.

Howard athletics director Hank Ford, hired in October, told The Washington Post that the university has a plan to add women's sports. "Gender equity and Title IX are the right thing to do," he said. "It's not a situation where you say, 'Do you?' It's the law and we're trying to comply."

The university plans to add women's teams and scholarships each year until equity is achieved, according to Sondra Norrell-Thomas, Howard's senior woman administrator. Howard has added 25 women's grants-in-aid to increase its total of women's athletics grants to 69. Men receive 124 grants.

The university is considering an athletics department proposal to add women's lacrosse, bowling and softball teams for the 1997-98 school year. Funding for scholarships, coaches' salaries and start-up costs to add new sports may come partially from the university general fund and partially through money raised by the athletics department, Norrell-Thomas said.

Another problem Howard faces is finding teams willing to play against the new teams. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, of which Howard is a member, does not sponsor lacrosse or bowling.

--Compiled by Sally Huggins

Title IX Ticker is a monthly feature in The NCAA News. News and information regarding Title IX and gender-equity issues can be sent to The NCAA News, Attn.: Title IX Ticker, 6201 College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas 66211-2411.