St. Thomas will reinstate its women’s tennis program after team members threatened to file a Title IX lawsuit against the university, an athletics department statement said Thursday.
St. Thomas Athletics announced last month that both the men’s and women’s tennis programs would be eliminated in the university’s move to Division I, citing the lack of tennis facilities and an unsustainable forecast of necessary resources and funding. The university does not currently plan to reinstate the men’s program.
“The University recognizes … that fighting a Title IX lawsuit would be extremely costly and time-consuming,” the athletics department said. “St. Thomas would rather invest its resources in student initiatives, including the women’s tennis program.”
The athletics department said that its reasons for eliminating the women’s and men’s tennis program “remain sound,” and that St. Thomas “was compliant with Title IX as a Division III athletics program” and will stay compliant going into Division I.
However, Arthur Bryant, the lead attorney representing members of the women’s tennis program from the Oakland, Calif.-based firm, Bailey & Glasser, disagreed.
“Title IX has been the law for almost 50 years and St. Thomas blatantly violated it,” Bryant said in a statement from the firm. “Title IX requires schools to provide equal opportunities, financial aid, and treatment. Now, thanks to these young women, St. Thomas will.
“The women’s tennis team members stood up for their rights and forced the school to follow the law,” Bryant continued. “They created a shining example of what women throughout the country can and should do—until all schools are providing gender equity, complying with Title IX, and giving them the equal opportunities, financial aid, and treatment the law requires.”
In a settlement agreement letter from Sara Gross Methner, general counsel and secretary of St. Thomas, the university says that it will treat the team and its members equitably to all other varsity teams at St. Thomas, and confirms that “at a minimum, the team will be continued at least until all your clients have used up their eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics.”
St. Thomas also agreed to conduct a gender equity review, and will develop a Gender Equity Plan by March 15, 2022, the settlement letter said. The plan’s goal is for St. Thomas athletics to be compliant with Title IX by the 2022-23 academic year.
“St. Thomas will solicit input from student-athletes and alumni and will expressly invite participation from (the women’s tennis team) and the other St. Thomas women’s varsity intercollegiate athletic team members,” Gross Methner wrote.
The university also agreed to pay the attorneys fees for the team’s members, totaling $64,013, the settlement said.
Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.
Editor’s note: TommieMedia Sports Editor Olivia Paradise, who is a member of the women’s tennis team and is one of the 11 women’s tennis players being represented by Bryant, did not contribute to this report.