Litigation
Title IX - Women's Athletics
Hangley Aronchick successfully represented eight members of the West Chester University women’s intercollegiate gymnastics team, who brought a claim of gender discrimination under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 after the university announced it would eliminate the team in 2003. Shareholders Bill Hangley and Sharon McKee (an associate when the litigation began), together with attorneys from Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ), represented the gymnasts. With Bill Hangley and Sharon McKee acting as trial counsel, the Court granted their preliminary injunction motion and ordered that the team immediately be reinstated, finding that West Chester University had intentionally discriminated against its female students when it eliminated the women’s gymnastics team, and that the university did not effectively accommodate the interests of its female students in intercollegiate athletics. Ultimately, the gymnasts achieved a settlement with the university, which made the preliminary injunction permanent and provided additional assurances that the gymnastics team will not be reduced in size and will have the benefit of a full coaching staff, practice season and access to post-season national competition.