Judge spikes QU's Title IX case

Hamden, Conn. (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that Quinnipiac University violated Title IX when they tried to eliminate the women's volleyball team.

U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill ruled competitive cheerleading is not an official sport for schools looking for ways to meet gender-equity requirements. Underhill said competitive cheerleading is too underdeveloped.

The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by members of the volleyball team at Quinnipiac University. The players sued after the school announced last year that it would eliminate the team for budgetary reasons. The school replaced it with a competitive cheer squad to stay in compliance with the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in athletics.

Quinnipiac has 60 days to come up with a plan to keep the volleyball team and comply with gender rules.

"The University naturally is disappointed that the court has disallowed competitive cheer as a varsity sport," said Lynn Bushnell, vice president for public affairs, Quinnipiac University. "We will continue to press for competitive cheer to become an officially recognized varsity sport in the future. Consistent with our long-standing plans to expand opportunities in women's athletics, the University intends to add women's rugby as a varsity sport beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year."

Connecticut ACLU's Sandra Staub responded, "They play next year and we're excited."

The university had provided the court with counts of how many females are involved in athletics in order to meet gender equity requirements outlined in Title 9.

The judge said the university's effort to replace volleyball with competitive cheerleading didn't work because it is too under developed and disorganized to be considered an varsity sport.