Judge Rejects Most Of USWNT Players Equal-pay Suit
The U.S. women's soccer team players were dealt a major blow in their equal-pay lawsuit on Friday when a federal judge issued a summary judgment in favor of the defendant, the United States Soccer Federation.
Judge R. Gary Klausner of United States District Court for the Central District of California denied the players' claim that they received lower pay than men's national team players while performing the same work.
The judge also rejected the players' claim that they faced unequal working conditions due to playing more games on artificial turf than their male counterparts.
Only two pieces of the lawsuit were left intact by the judge for a trial that is scheduled to commence June 16: travel conditions related to charter flights and hotel accommodations, and medical and training support services.
An appeal of Klausner's ruling will be filed, Tour du thuyền Hạ Long giá rẻ according to Molly Levinson, the spokesperson for the women's team players.
"We are shocked and disappointed in today's decision, but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay," Levinson said in a statement. "We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who play this sport will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender.
"We have learned there are tremendous obstacles to change; we know that it takes bravery and courage and kynghidongduong.vn perseverance to stand up to them. We will appeal and press on. Words cannot express our gratitude to all who support us."
The leadup to the case gained national attention in March when court filings revealed that part of the USSF's argument in the case was based around male players being better at soccer than female players.
The tactic was employed despite the fact that the U.S. men's national team failed to qualify for the most recent World Cup while the U.S. women's national team is the two-time defending Women's World Cup champion.
The USSF wrote, "The job of a (men's national team player) carries more responsibility within US Soccer than the job of a (women's national team) player.
"The overall soccer-playing ability required to compete at the senior men's national team level is materially influenced by the level of certain physical attributes ... such as speed and strength, required for the job."
The legal strategy prompted a public outcry that led to Carlos Cordeiro resigning as USSF president. He was replaced in the job by Cindy Parlow Cone, a former USWNT player.
One of Parlow Cone's first orders of business was rejecting the federation's stance on the value of female players and firing the law firm that took that approach on the federation's behalf.
--Field Level Media