Officials at the University of Colorado at Boulder said that a Title IX complaint announced yesterday with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) against the university should be immediately dismissed.
“We believe ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ should not be named in this complaint,” said Chancellor Richard L. Byyny. “We have an existing agreement with the Office of Civil Rights defining ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s obligations under Title IX in its athletic program. The agreement, completed in 1994, includes the provision of financial aid to female student athletes.”
Byyny said the university is in “full compliance with that agreement as determined by regular reviews by the OCR. There is no basis for further investigation of the university. Under the agreement, OCR has continuously monitored our progress which has been substantial and on target.”
Byyny disputed allegations related to amounts of financial aid awarded to individual student athletes. He stated, “Scholarship for scholarship women get as much financial aid as do men. The only variable is in-state versus out-of-state tuition.”
In its last review of ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s compliance with the agreement, OCR found that ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ-Boulder is in compliance in the area of financial aid. A letter to ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ-Boulder from OCR last February noted that “OCR finds that the University has satisfactorily fulfilled this (financial aid) provision of the Agreement.” The same letter noted that “immense progress has been made by the University” in implementing the agreement.
¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ President John C. Buechner expressed his support for ByynyÂ’s response to the complaint. “I have complete confidence that Chancellor Byyny and Athletic Director Dick Tharp are fully implementing all compliance procedures,” Buechner said.
“I want our supporters in Colorado and across the nation to know that ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ is committed to expanding opportunities for all of our student athletes.”