Lawsuits and Complaints

After six years of work towards equal pay, the U.S. women's soccer team resolved the fight in February 2022. It began when five all-star players filed a complaint against U.S. Soccer, on the basis that they were receiving less pay than their male counterparts. The settlement included $24 million in payments from U.S. Soccer, the majority of which is back pay. There are also plans to complete a new contract between U.S. Soccer and the players’ union for the women's team, which will include equal World Cup prize money. The players have continued this fight with the support of many fans, and say that it is a “monumental win” for the team (Das).

In 2015, Shannon Miller was fired from the position of head hockey coach at University of Minnesota Duluth or UMD. Her team had won five national championships, and she had a .707 winning percentage; therefore, she filed suit on gender discrimination. Some of her claims were under Title VII and Title IX, citing that the decision was not purely financial as UMD said it was. For example, the men’s head hockey coach earned $93,241 more, but was not fired, and the men’s hockey team received a greater recruiting budget and more coaches. Another example of discrimination against coaches can be shown when Beth Burns filed suit against San Diego State University, or SDSU, where she had served as women’s head basketball coach for 16 seasons. Her case went to trial in 2016, which led to an ultimate settlement of $4 million in 2018. Overall, many universities and colleges must be careful to provide equal opportunities and remain compliant with Title IX (AB Staff).

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