On March 8, 1996, parents, as next friends of their minor daughters, individually and on behalf of those similarly situated, filed a class action lawsuit against Independent School District No. 1 of Tulsa County, also known as Tulsa Public Schools ("TPS"). The lawsuit was in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and proceeded under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq. Plaintiffs, represented by attorneys from the National Women's Law Center and by private counsel, claimed that TPS had violated Title IX by denying female student athletes' equal treatment and benefits in comparison with male student athletes.

The case was assigned to Judge Sven Erik Holmes, who held a class certification hearing on May 7, 1996, and on May 16, certified the class of "All present and future female students enrolled at Tulsa Public schools who participate, seek to participate, or are deterred from participating in interscholastic and other school-sponsored athletics at Tulsa Public Schools."

The case proceeded with settlement negotiations and tours of the School District's schools by the court. On June 6, 1997, a consent decree was entered. It required the District to build seven new softball fields and renovate two more; continue efforts to encourage increased female participation in school-sponsored sports; provide equitable access to practice and weight facilities, locker rooms, training and compensation of coaches, equipment, lodging, meals, medical services, supplies, training, travel, uniforms; provide equitably information to sports media; the scheduling of game and practice; and create gender neutral procedures for hiring of coaches.

Plaintiffs were awarded attorney's fees and costs in the amount of $80,048.67. On January 20, 1998, the parties filed a joint stipulation of dismissal.

Heather Turner - 06/03/2014


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