$5.85M Awarded to Ex-Fresno State Coach Under Title IX Law.

Last week Lindy Vivas, a former volleyball coach for Fresno State, won $5.85 million in damages in a gender discrimination suit against the school.

Vivas was fired in 2004 after expressing the opinion that female athletes at Fresno State should have equal treatment and access to school facilities. The University’s claim that the former coach failed to meet performance goals did not acknowledge that, merely two years prior, she had led her team to the best season in its history.

According to the San Francisco Examiner, this may be the largest award “ever granted to a coach suing for retaliation under Title IX.”

 

What does Title IX mean for women?

The Title IX law is a federal law that was first put in place to abolish gender and sex discrimination in public schools, and is primarily used as a shield against programs that prioritize male success over that of their female counterparts. The establishment of this law followed a period where men were given preferred or exclusive access to academic and athletic resources.

As of today, we have just passed the 35^th Anniversary of the Title IX law's implementation, and the benefits are in the numbers. In an article titled “Title IX turns 35, yet hasn’t reached it’s prime,” The Seattle Times reports that since the Title IX law's inception:

“[…] Women's participation in college sports has jumped from 30,000 to 170,000, and, in high-school sports, from 300,000 to 3 million. Female athletes earn higher grade-point averages and report higher self-esteem than their nonathletic classmates. […] Increased physical activity also translates into a reduced risk of several life-threatening diseases, including breast cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease.”

But even with numerous benefits at hand, women’s athletic programs are still struggling to recruit and support their female students. The article at hand notes that while almost 25% of Americans are aware of a recent situation in which female athletes were treated unfairly, 60% of that group wouldn’t know how to take legal action to amend it.

 

Take Action.

If you are aware of a violation of Title IX law, you can take action immediately by consulting with a gender and sex discrimination lawyer. Remember that, like Lindy Vivas, you are protected from wrongful termination by your employer—retaliatory termination is illegal under Civil Rights law.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act further protects employees from discrimination on the basis of race, sex (including pregnancy and childbirth), religion, and national origin.

by Kate Beall