Federal Court Halts Cutting Of Two Women's Teams At Eastern Michigan

Eastern Michigan cut four teams, including softball, in an effort to trim the athletics department budgetEMU

A federal court granted a preliminary injunction to "halt the cutting of two women's teams at Eastern Michigan," according to David Jesse of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. U.S. District Judge George Steeh said, "There is a clear showing that [EMU is] in violation of Title IX." He ordered the two sides to "appear in his courtroom at the end of October to work out a plan to reinstate the tennis and softball teams." EMU did "not say how it would make up for the cuts or how it would reinstate the teams." The suit was filed after EMU "cut a number of sports programs in an ongoing effort to trim its budget." EMU argued its budget difficulties meant it "had to make the cuts, an argument Steeh didn't buy." The moves "affected 58 male student-athletes and 25 female student-athletes, and will ultimately save" approximately $2.4M. Steeh: "Financial hardship is not a defense to a Title IX violation" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/28).