The judge in the USWNT's gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation has "set a May 5, 2020 trial date in the case, an accelerated timeline that could see the team’s bid for equal pay become entangled with its preparations" for the '20 Tokyo Games, according to Andrew Das of the N.Y. TIMES. The date is "at least six months earlier" than the USWNT and USSF had requested. Both had "sought to delay the trial" until later in '20 in order to "avoid both the Olympic tournament and the conclusion of the players’ domestic league seasons." A USWNT spokesperson yesterday said that there "remains a chance the sides could resolve the lawsuit" before the May trail date. The players and the federation "quietly held mediation sessions" in N.Y. last week in an "effort to find common ground, but those talks quickly broke down." U.S. District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner’s scheduling timeline, though, "could spur another round of discussions" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/20). ESPN.com's Graham Hays noted if the lawsuit "moves toward trial without settlement," it will be "preceded by a discovery process in which both sides will have to exchange evidence and witnesses will testify under oath" (ESPN.com, 8/19).
