The University of Tennessee announced on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, that they have reached a settlement in the Title IX lawsuit brought against them by eight former female students. The settlement of $2.48 million comes after allegations of a “hostile sexual environment” at the university arising from a policy of indifference towards sexual assaults by student-athletes.
Seven of the eight plaintiffs in the lawsuit made allegations against UT athletes, and six athletes were accused by name. The plaintiffs alleged a “culture of sexual violence,” which was allowed to exist by members at the top of the athletic administration, including former football coach Butch Jones. The complaint states the school’s disciplinary process was interfered with by UT’s top brass in order to favor male athletes.
Despite the settlement, the university admits no guilt, negligence, or unlawful acts. Raja Jubran, the vice chair of the university board of trustees, justified the settlement as a cost-saving mechanism, claiming that while he believes the university would have come out on top in litigation over the next several years, “both sides would have lost in the end” due to mounting legal fees. University Chancellor Jimmy Cheek also released a statement, saying that the university has come a long way in recent years and is “working every day to be even better.”