Eastern Michigan University Female Athlete Discrimination Class Action Website Is Active

Female student-athletes who were allegedly subjected to sexual discrimination at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) now have a website they can visit regarding a pending class action settlement.

While the website is live, it is not accepting claims yet. Top Class Actions will provide claim filing instructions as soon as they become available.

Meanwhile, viewers will receive an email notice when this article is updated with more information by using a free Top Class Actions account and clicking the “Follow Article” button at the top of the post.

The website, which is hosted on the EMU legal affairs page, aims to inform students that they may be part of a proposed Class.

The Class includes female students and prospective students who applied for admission to EMU, enrolled at EMU, or ended up not applying for admission at EMU due to alleged sex discrimination since June 15, 2015.

The gender discrimination reportedly affected the athletic opportunities available to female sports programs at the university.

Plaintiffs Marie Mayerova and Ariana Chretien filed their EMU class action lawsuit in June 2018, claiming that budget cuts in March of that year resulted in the women’s tennis and softball teams being cut. Mayerova, who was a member of the tennis team, and Chretien, former member of the softball team, argued that their teams should not have been cut.

Although the men’s wrestling and swimming/diving teams were also cut by the university, the plaintiffs argue that the women’s teams should have not been cut considering the discrimination already in place for female athletes.

According to the plaintiffs, 59.5 percent of the student body was female in the 2017-2018 school year but only 44.3 percent of student-athletes were women.

The EMU class action claimed that this discrimination violated Title IX regulations.

In February 2019, U.S. District Court Judge George Steeh ordered EMU to reinstate the softball and tennis teams for women athletes. According to the court, the plaintiffs had shown that they had suffered “irreparable harm.”

“Indeed, given the current disparity between participation opportunities for men and women at EMU, the reinstatement of the tennis and softball teams represents only one step in the direction of the university’s compliance with Title IX,” Judge Steeh determined.

More recently, on Jan. 21, the plaintiffs proposed a consent decree which would resolve the claims in the EMU class action lawsuit.

Under the consent decree, the university agrees to take “necessary and reasonable steps” to comply with Title IX. Through these steps, the university and plaintiffs say that a sustainable ratio of male to female athletes would be reached by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.

The university pledged to not eliminate women’s sports program unless there is no other option or if the elimination of the team wouldn’t affect the sustainable ration of male to female athletes. Additionally, EMU will continue to offer the women’s tennis team and plans to add a lacrosse team.

As a result of the consent decree, the plaintiffs will receive monetary compensation. Mayerova will reportedly be paid $25,000 in damages while Chretien will receive $100,000.

Are you a part of the EMU Class? Let us know in the comment section below.

The plaintiffs are represented by Lori A. Bullock, Jill Zwagerman, Beatriz Mate-Kodjo of Newkirk Zwagerman PLC, and Tracy E. Van den Bergh of Roberts & Freatman.

The EMU Female Student-Athletes Class Action Lawsuit is Mayerova, et al. v. Eastern Michigan University, et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-11909-GCS-RSW, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division.

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