A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a prior court order that Quinnipiac University must do more to provide female student athletes with the same opportunities the school offers to men.
The ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed findings by U.S. District Court Judge Stefan R. Underhill that the school discriminated against female students by overstating the number and significance of competitive, intercollegiate athletic positions available to them.
The school appealed Underhill's finding of discrimination, arguing that his conclusions were based in large part on an erroneous count of the school's roster of athletic positions for woman. The appeals court agreed with Underhill, who ordered Quinnipiac a year ago to immediately bring its athletic program into balance.
Underhill found in July 2011 that Quinnipiac was in violation of a landmark federal law, known commonly as Title IX, that prohibits gender discrimination, in both academics and athletics, at educational institutions receiving federal money.