Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 17, 1994 TAG: 9402170112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tech has until March 25 - 60 days after the date the suit was filed - to respond in court to the lawsuit that claims the school violates Title IX because its female-male athlete ratio falls short of its female-male undergraduate ratio.
Tech did not publicly release its Title IX plans, citing the pending lawsuit. Amy Sabrin, lead counsel for the dozen women plaintiffs, said Tuesday she hopes Tech has decided to add four women's sports and trimmed its timetable for doing so.
In negotiations before the lawsuit was filed, Sabrin said, Tech officials talked about adding one sport in the fall of 1994 and "probably or possibly" three more in a five-year span.
"Maybe they've firmed it up," she said. "We remain perfectly open to continuing to try to settle this case."
Tech's lawyer, Jerry Cain, would not comment on how and when the university planned to respond to the suit.
Another lawyer for the plaintiffs, Deborah Brake, said in January that a positive Tech offer would be to add two sports this spring and two in the fall. Tuesday, Sabrin said that's unrealistic.
"Now, as time passes, I would say [add them] next year, whatever the appropriate seasons," Sabrin said from her office in Washington, D.C.
Sources have said Tech's plan would bring the school into compliance in less than five years and would involve a student survey to determine which sports to add. Softball, lacrosse, field hockey and crew already operate as club sports at Tech and are represented in the lawsuit, but Sabrin said "we're open to suggestion for other sports."
Brake and at least one plaintiff, sophomore field hockey player Kathy James, have stressed that the lawsuit was intended to force Tech to upgrade softball, lacrosse, field hockey and crew as soon as possible to allow the current club players to play at the varsity level. Amy Rusert, the original plaintiff in the suit before she left school for financial reasons, said that's not the No. 1 objective.
"We don't care who's elevated," said Rusert, who coaches Tech's club team in field hockey. "We just want to see the numbers reflect the population. What sport goes varsity is arbitrary in our eyes.
"Of course, we would love to benefit. [But] in addition to wanting to play, there's a little higher cause here . . . Some of us have little sisters."
Rusert said she would be satisfied if Tech was in compliance by the fall of '96. But Rusert, who played one non-scholarship year of varsity field hockey at Penn State before transferring to Tech, remains unconvinced that Tech will achieve Title IX compliance.
by CNB