US women’s national soccer team players appeal equal pay decision

The U.S. women’s national soccer team on Friday appealed a 2020 decision to its equal pay lawsuit.

Several players, including Alex Morgan, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) in March 2019 claiming they were financially discriminated against based on their gender, CNN reports. 

Judge Gary Klausner dismissed the suit in May of 2020, arguing the women’s team could have selected the same collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as the men’s team.

On Friday, 28 current and former players announced their appeal, saying Klausner’s decision was “based on a flawed analysis of the team’s compensation, despite the abundant evidence of unequal pay.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the appeal calls for Klausner to reconsider several factors in the case, including that the women’s team on average wins more games, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The appeal reads: “In effect, the court held that pay is equal if a woman can obtain the same amount of money as a man by working more and performing better. That is not the law.”

Player spokesperson Molly Levinson condemned the ruling to CNN, saying, “If a woman has to work more than a man and be much more successful than him to earn about the same pay, that is decidedly not equal pay and it violates the law.”

She added, “And yet, that is exactly what the women players on the US National team do — they play more games and achieve better results in order to be paid about the same amount as the men’s national team players per game. By any measure, that is not equal pay, and it violates federal law.”

On Friday the USSF addressed the appeal in a tweet, echoing the sentiment about the women’s team’s choice in the CBA.

U.S. Soccer Statement on Appeal Filed by USWNT pic.twitter.com/QTrCMxliEK

— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) July 23, 2021

“The District Court rightly noted that the Women’s National Team negotiated for a different pay structure than the Men’s National Team, and correctly held that the Women’s National Team was paid more both cumulatively and on an average per-game basis than the Men’s National Team.”

The USSF concluded the statement by affirming its dedication to the women’s national team as it pushes for a fifth Olympic gold medal.

“We will continue to seek a resolution to this matter outside of court so we can chart a positive path forward with the players to grow both here at home and around the world.”