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Seven months after announcing it planned to discontinue five Division I NCAA teams, including men’s and women’s golf, Dartmouth College reversed course Friday and announced the programs' reinstatement. The turnaround came 24 hours after a report on the elimination of Dartmouth golf appeared in Global Golf Post+ and was shared by other media organizations, including Barstool Sports.
Early on Friday, a letter from Dartmouth president Philip Hanlon went out to “Friends of Dartmouth Golf, Rowing, and Swimming & Diving,” that read, in part: “Today we are announcing a comprehensive set of reviews of Athletics and are reinstating the five varsity teams we eliminated in July: women’s and men’s swimming and diving; women’s and men’s golf; and men’s lightweight rowing. ... I realize many of you were disappointed by the July announcement. It is my hope that as we move forward with this process, we will all work together to make our Athletics program even stronger.
“Thank you for all you do for Dartmouth and our varsity Athletics programs.”
Shortly before that letter hit, the law firm of Bailey & Glasser sent out a press release that read, in part: “Dartmouth College has agreed to reinstate its women’s golf and swimming and diving teams, develop a gender equity plan, and come into full compliance with Title IX to avoid a threatened class action sex discrimination lawsuit.”
The settlement agreement can be found here.
“... It has been so satisfying to see such a fruitful response to our activism. I really hope that my teammates’ and my willingness to stand up helps to set a precedent for further re-evaluation of gender equity, in general, at Dartmouth.”
Kristen Chen, Dartmouth WOmen’s golf team
Bailey & Glasser attorney Arthur Bryant, who specializes in Title IX litigation, said in a statement: “This is a huge victory for the women at Dartmouth who stood up for their rights, the entire Dartmouth community and everyone who cares about gender equity and the law. ... This is the fifth college in the past few months that illegally eliminated women’s teams and then reinstated them when we confronted them.
“Schools need to get the message: Title IX has been the law for almost 50 years. It guarantees women equal opportunities, athletic financial aid, and treatment. If schools don’t provide that, the women can sue – and they will win.”
Kristen Chen, a junior on the women’s golf team at Dartmouth, said in a statement, “From bringing this case, I personally have gained a real sense of empowerment by standing up for what I believe in. It has been so satisfying to see such a fruitful response to our activism. I really hope that my teammates’ and my willingness to stand up helps to set a precedent for further re-evaluation of gender equity, in general, at Dartmouth.”
Jim Nugent, publisher of Global Golf Post, who penned the report that appeared on Thursday, said of the school’s decision, “It’s nice to see college administrators doing the right thing, regardless of the actions it took to get them there. Whether or not our reporting at GGP and GGP+ contributed to this decision, we are pleased with the outcome. And we remain committed to quality golf journalism, no matter where the story leads.”
Steve Eubanks