Oregon faces Title IX lawsuit from 32 female athletes over allegations of gender bias as Ducks beach volleyball players say they're forced to practice in a public park where bathrooms are kept locked to deter drug users

Oregon's athletic department has failed to adhere to federal law banning sex discrimination in education, according to a Title IX lawsuit filed by 32 female Ducks athletes in federal court.

Represented by well-known Title IX attorney Arthur Bryant from Bailey Glasser LLP, the women are arguing that they have been denied equal treatment and benefits compared to their male counterparts.

The plaintiffs are largely comprised from Oregon's varsity beach volleyball team and its club rowing team.

The filing alleges that the beach volleyball team does not have its own facility and is forced to practice at a public park, where bathrooms are often locked to deter drug users.

'Based on the way the beach volleyball team has been treated, female athletes at Oregon do not need much food or water, good or clean clothes or uniforms, scholarships, medical treatment or mental health services, their own facilities, a locker room, proper transportation, or other basic necessities,' beach volleyball captain and lead plaintiff Ashley Schroeder said in a press release.

'This week, we could not practice because, sadly and disturbingly, someone died near the public courts we have to use in Amazon Park … But the men's teams have full scholarships, multi-million-dollar budgets, and professional-level, state-of-the-art facilities.'

Title IX requires college athletic departments to provide proportionate roster spots for men and women, proportionate scholarships, and equal treatment, in terms of benefits, recruiting efforts, and other promotional endeavors.

But while 49 percent of Oregon students were female in 2021, only 46 percent of athletic scholarships went to women – an apparent violation and one that is representative of the department in recent years, according to the filing.

The lawsuit specifically accuses Oregon Athletics of spending a quarter of its budget on female athletes and just 15 percent of its recruiting budget on women's sports.

Oregon, which receives massive donations from Nike founder and Oregon alum Phil Knight, built a $68 million, 145,000-square foot football practice facility a decade ago, and continues to shower its prized gridiron team with other perks, such as fancy equipment and weight rooms. 

The filing is the first Title IX complaint to include NIL opportunities, which the plaintiffs feel have been largely denied to them while male athletes have seen 'much greater NIL-related training, opportunities, and income.'

Schools are prohibited from paying athletes, but they can educate athletes about NIL opportunities and provide publicity that athletes can use to leverage into NIL deals.

Unfortunately, according to the lawsuit, those opportunities have been largely denied to the plaintiffs.

'The school refuses to change its ways or even admit there is a problem,' Bryant said in a news release Friday. 'It has taught its women athletes what the history of Title IX has shown: If women want equality, they need to fight for it. So that's what the women at Oregon are doing.'