Facing scrutiny over possible Title IX violations, Delaware State University has agreed to reinstate their women’s equestrian program through 2010-11 after announcing its elimination earlier this year for budgetary reasons. The move resolves part of a legal battle between the historically Black institution and student athletes who filed suit to have the program continued after the current year, officials said.
In February, the Lady Hornet equestrians filed for a preliminary injunction order to preserve the team and ensure its presence at the school. On Wednesday, DSU lawyers filed a motion in federal district court consenting to a court order that allows the team to compete through the 2010-11 year. DSU officials will fund the team and all awarded scholarships will be honored, according to the agreement.
The Delaware district court ordered that DSU fulfill the team funding and scholarship obligations under the presumption that if budget cuts were to occur the equestrian team would not suffer more than other athletic teams on campus.
“We still believe that the elimination of the team is a lawful action on our part and is in the best interests of institution,” said university spokesman Carlos Holmes. “The equestrian team has expressed their love for the program and desire to continue competing and we have listened. We’ve decided to extend it one more year but we are not committing the university to beyond that year.”
Caroline Foltz, a sophomore agricultural business major, is a scholarship rider for the Lady Hornets and said the development is great news for the team ahead of the national championships next week in Waco, Texas.
“I’m glad we have at least one more year and we are still going to continue to fight to be put back for longer,” Foltz said, adding their riders have made appearances at nationals in three of the last four years. “At least we will have our team back while we fight to get it longer.”
In another legal action taken in late February, fifteen members of the team represented by the Philadelphia-based Women’s Law Project filed a class action suit in federal court against the school, also claiming that DSU violated Title IX federal guidelines for athletic gender equity provisions. The case is still pending and the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education is investigating.
