The U.S. Soccer Federation had previously argued that women are inherently inferior to menGETTY IMAGES
In the latest "back-and-forth round in the ongoing discrimination lawsuit" filed by the USWNT, the U.S. Soccer Federation has "backed off its previous legal strategy, which was widely criticized as sexist," according to Caitlin Murray of YAHOO SPORTS. The USSF, which "previously argued that women are inherently inferior to men, eliminated that defense from its new documents" filed yesterday. References to the female players "performing less-than-equal work because they have less 'ability' or 'skill' than male players, which U.S. Soccer argued last week, have been removed entirely." U.S. Soccer still "argued that the women’s team and the men’s team are separate from one another, but only because they have different managers, separate budgets and play in different locations." USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone yesterday in a statement said, "Last week's legal filing was an error." Parlow Cone said that the Federation had "switched law firms," but she "went a step further Monday, vowing a 'comprehensive review of our internal process'" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/17). The AP's Anne Peterson notes law firm Seyfarth Shaw had "represented the federation since the suit was filed" in March '19. Latham & Watkins "replaced" the firm in last night’s filing. Both the USWNT and USSF have "moved for summary judgments, asking U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner to decide in their favor without a trial," which is currently scheduled for May 5. They filed final documents "associated with those requests" late last night, in which Parlow Cone "struck a conciliatory tone" (AP, 3/17).
