Thirty-two female athletes have filed a class action lawsuit against the University of Oregon alleging Title IX violations. The discrimination lawsuit was filed last week in the U.S. District Court in Eugene and accused the school of "depriving women of equal treatment and benefits, equal athletic aid, and equal opportunities to participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics.”

Title IX prohibits gender inequality in educational institutions receiving federal funds. Under the Education Amendments of 1972, this federal civil rights law prohibits any education program or activity that receives federal financing assistance from discrimination against an individual based on their sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or gender orientation. In their class action lawsuit, the female students say the school did just that.

During a press conference announcing the lawsuit, several of the plaintiffs said that the school deprived them of the college experience they felt they were supposed to have because they were female athletes. The 115-page lawsuit details how the university did not allocate as much funds to female sports, including failing to provide an adequate facility for the girls to practice. The complaint argues that the university does not meet three “areas of compliance” under Title IX. The three areas include equal treatment and benefits, equal athletic financial assistance, and effective accommodation of students’ athletic interests and abilities.

Per the complaint, women’s teams at the university did not receive fair “treatment and benefits” whereas the men’s team enjoyed “incredibly exorbitant” benefits and treatment. The plaintiffs say that despite women making up more than 49% of the university’s student-athletes, the school spent only 25% of its annual athletics budget on them along with only 15% of recruiting money on female athletes.

One example of this unfair allocation of funds can be seen in the girl’s volleyball team practices. The team does not have an actual facility in which they practice. Instead, the girl’s volleyball team held every practice in the off-campus Amazon Park that sits across from the university. The park is described as having no area for spectators and while there was a public restroom near the facility, the volleyball players were afraid to use it because there were often individuals doing drugs in the stalls. Additionally, the female student-athletes say they were often tasked with raking the sand on the volleyball court to get rid of animal feces and drug paraphernalia before they could begin practice.

In contrast, the university's football team is equipped with a state-of-the-art facility. The players were also given chartered flights to and from their games and enjoyed catered meals and other amenities.

The female athletes also detail that the men’s teams are given “superior” equipment including “high-quality gear that fits well, is personalized and tailored to the athlete, and is sport-appropriate.” The male students are also allowed unlimited extra gear and custom uniform fittings.

Meanwhile, the girl’s volleyball team gets one “gear drop” at the start of the season. The uniforms typically don’t fit well and players are often forced to borrow gear from one another or purchase new gear themselves. At the end of the season, the female students are required to return their gear while the men's football and basketball teams can keep their gear.

The university issued a statement pushing back on the claims of Title IX violations. The university defended, “All student-athletes, including our female athletes, with academic support, tutoring, student-athlete development, medical care, mental health support, meals and snacks, and nutrition and sports training."