Judge Temporarily Blocks Cuts in UI Women’s Swimming/Diving

A number of University of Iowa female athletes were part of a group filing a lawsuit after the women's swimming and diving team was one of several announced among those being dropped to balance the athletic department budget in August.

Their lawsuit has resulted in a judge granting a temporary injunction to save the program pending further investigation, according to KWWL. Their suit was filed on grounds that the cuts violated Title IX regulations. It states that the University "has engaged in a continuing pattern and practice of discrimination against women based on sex in intercollegiate athletics in violation of Title IX".

They also seek funding and benefits in proportion to their intercollegiate status, as well as monetary compensation. Since the termination of the swimming and diving program was announced, some 23 athletes have either left or have committed to leaving for other universities at the end of the school year to continue pursuing their athletic endeavors.

A team captain says she has it on good authority those athletes would stay at Iowa if the program was reinstated. The team is still hoping for the best and preparing for the season starting next Spring. Captain Sage Ohlenselehn says they plan to work harder than ever in the pool to show why their program deserves to be retained.

For their part, UI officials dispute the allegations of Title IX violations, citing in part that this is the only women's sport being cut, along with three on the men's side.