Court upholds settlement in women’s sports case at Brown

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a settlement between Brown University and student-athletes who had challenged the Ivy League school’s decision to drop several women’s varsity sports. The Providence Journal reported that the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided Wednesday with the university and the athletes who originally sued. Twelve athletes on the women’s gymnastics and ice hockey teams had asked the court to reject the settlement. The settlement restores the women’s equestrian and women’s fencing teams to varsity status. It also calls for an end to a 1998 legal agreement ensuring gender equity in varsity sports at Brown on Aug. 31, 2024.