A federal lawsuit has been filed against the University of Tennessee by two current employees and one former employee of the athletic department. The three plaintiffs allege that the university set up a “testosterone wall” that keeps women or men involved with women’s sports from earning equal pay with men or employees who deal with men’s sports.
The plaintiffs were all involved in strength and conditioning for women’s sports programs. The suit states that the university devotes 12,000 square feet of space for facilities for strength and conditioning for men’s sports teams but only 4,500 square feet for women’s teams. The suit also says that the budget for men’s strength and conditioning is $300,000, compared to $85,000 for women.
The plaintiffs also charge that one of them was fired and two were demoted after they first filed a complaint about the alleged discrimination.
The suit states that the university “has created a testosterone wall effectively prohibiting women from earning equal pay and further denying plaintiffs the opportunity to advance their careers by working in men’s athletics at the University of Tennessee.”