Dana Finke
Literature Review – Civil Rights
Business Law – Myra Bruegger
Article Citing: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/14767454/feds-open-broad-bias-
probe-iowa-hawkeyes-athletics
Feds open broad bias probe into Iowa athletics
Feb 12, 2016
Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa is facing a wide-ranging federal civil rights
investigation into allegations that its athletics department does not provide equal opportunities
for female athletes, correspondence obtained by The Associated Press shows.
The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education is looking into gender bias
allegations in 13 areas, including how the department counts participation levels, awards
scholarships, schedules practices and games and delivers services such as tutoring, medical
attention, housing and dining. A team of investigators will visit the Iowa City campus in April,
according to documents released Thursday under the open records law.
The department’s equipment, locker rooms and facilities are also part of the review, which comes
as its men’s basketball and football teams have been enjoying high national rankings.
If discrimination is found, the investigation could result in a settlement requiring the university
to change policies, spend more money on women’s athletics or even add another women’s sport.
The review could take years, and a school lawyer told the federal agency in December that she
believes an investigation will show Iowa “strives to provide male and female students an equal
opportunity to participate.”
At least one other Big Ten school, Minnesota, is facing a similar investigation by the civil rights
office, which enforces the law known as Title IX that bars sex discrimination in education
programs receiving federal aid.
Iowa has provided thousands of documents in response to investigators’ request for 41 categories
of records. Investigators plan to interview athletic director Gary Barta, administrators, coaches
and athletes on all 24 of Iowa’s teams during the weeklong visit beginning April 11. Iowa offers
its roughly 800 student-athletes a great experience and looks “forward to sharing information
about our programs and values,” Barta said in a statement.
The civil rights office opened an initial investigation into the athletic department in May in
response to a complaint filed by four women’s field hockey team members.
They contended that Barta ignored their concerns about his decision to fire their coach, Tracey
Griesbaum, which they argue was based on gender stereotypes and hurt the team’s
Dana Finke
Literature Review – Civil Rights
Business Law – Myra Bruegger
competitiveness. That complaint is still pending. Barta has said Griesbaum was fired over
concerns about how she treated players.
Separately, Griesbaum is expected to file a discrimination lawsuit over her termination. Her
