During a celebration after winning the AAC women’s soccer championship, University of Connecticut (“UConn”) scholarship student-athlete Noriana Radwan raised her middle finger toward a television camera. The incident was broadcast nationally. Ultimately, Radwan was removed from the team and lost her scholarship.
Radwan brought First Amendment freedom of speech, Due Process, and Title IX claims against UConn and individuals involved in the decision making. Importantly, the district court held that her Title IX claims could not proceed, but the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision.
Title IX is a federal discrimination law that prohibits exclusion from participation in educational activities, including intercollegiate athletics, based on sex. While the court determined that Radwan could be punished for her behavior, it also determined that UConn’s sanctions could have been discriminatory because similar male student-athletes had not received such harsh punishment.
2022 is the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, and this is another important case regarding a law that has been crucial in creating athletics opportunities for women.
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