UConn settles Title IX lawsuit, agrees to keep women’s rowing program at least five years

The University of Connecticut settled a federal Title IX lawsuit and will keep its women’s rowing program for a minimum of five years.

As part of the settlement, the university will also renovate the team’s boathouse, provide more scholarships for the program, hire three full-time assistant coaches and increase the team’s recruiting budget, according to The Associated Press.

Twelve rowers brought the lawsuit against the school after it announced it would cut the program last year as a result of budgeting issues. The rowers argued that ending the program would violate Title IX, the federal law that mandates equal access for women in education, which includes athletics, the AP reported.

A temporary restraining order was issued in May to prevent the team from being dissolved, with U.S. District Judge Stephen Underhill ruling that the rowers would likely win their case, the wire service added.

“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,” Stephanie Reitz, a University of Connecticut spokesperson, said in a statement to The Hill. 

“At a time that we really didn’t think there was going to be a future, now we have everything a rowing team could ever want or need to succeed,” Maggie Mlynek, one of the rowers who brought the case against the school, said, according to the AP.