Court grants injunction, blocks Iowa from dropping women's team

By Vanessa Miller, Cedar-Rapids Gazette

In spelling out her reasoning for temporarily blocking the University of Iowa from cutting its women’s swimming and diving program, a federal judge said in a written order Thursday there’s a “fair chance” the institution “is not, and has not been, in compliance” with a federal requirement of providing equal opportunities for female student-athletes.

“The numbers do not lie,” U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Rose wrote about allegations UI Athletics has failed and continues to fail in complying with Title IX by “providing its female athletes athletic participation opportunities substantially proportionate to their representation in the student body.”

While this case centers on the women’s swimming and diving program, a finding that the UI is in violation of Title IX could have broader implications. Federal authorities can require that schools found violating Title IX take corrective actions that could include redistributing scholarships, shifting spending or revising policies. Schools that don’t act risk losing federal money, but that step has never been used — according to a book partly written by Lopiano.

Though Rose noted “injunctive relief is an extraordinary remedy that is not issued lightly,” she found reason to believe the six UI female athletes suing the university for violating Title IX could ultimately win their lawsuit.

“Plaintiffs have demonstrated a fair chance that the University of Iowa does not presently provide its female student with intercollegiate athletic opportunities in substantial proportion to their enrollment, and is unlikely to do so after eliminating the women’s swimming and diving team for the 2021—22 academic year.”

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