UConn rowing alumni trying to save program through Title IX

STORRS, Conn. — A group of 23 rowing alumni at the University of Connecticut have filed a civil rights complaint over the decision to eliminate the women’s team as part of budget cuts in the school’s athletic department. The alumni filed their complaint Monday with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights alleging UConn is in violation of Title IX, the federal law that guarantees equal participation opportunities for women in education, including sports. But she reiterated the school’s position, which UConn President Thomas Katsouleas also outlined last month in a letter to the rowing alumni. While I certainly understand and appreciate your disappointment that the Women’s Rowing Team was one of the four teams ultimately selected for elimination, we are confident that our actions were consistent with our obligations under Title IX.” The school started the women’s rowing program in 1997 as a way to help offset the male scholarships needed to elevate its football team into the Bowl Subdivision.