U.S. Women Soccer Players Settle Claims in Gender-Bias Case
U.S. Women Soccer Players Settle Claims in Gender-Bias Case
(Bloomberg) -- U.S. women national team soccer players who said they weren’t treated equally to their male counterparts agreed to settle claims related to their working conditions and will appeal a ruling related to pay.
The U.S. Soccer Federation agreed to revise its policies on charter flights, hotel accommodations and professional support for the women so that they are equal to what men get, according to the proposed settlement filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court.
The settlement must be approved by a judge.
The female players said they will appeal a judge’s ruling dismissing their claim that they are paid less than men who play on the national team.
U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner ruled earlier this year that any pay discrepancy was due to differences they negotiated in their collective bargaining agreements. Klausner concluded the women players rejected a pay structure like the men have in exchange for higher base salaries and benefits.
The women sued in 2019 seeking more than $66 million in damages.
The high-profile dispute sparked the resignation of the president of U.S. Soccer, Carlos Cordeiro, in March amid widespread outrage over arguments the federation used in court to support its position in the lawsuit.
U.S. Soccer argued in a legal filing that the women’s team is paid differently than the men’s team because its play is inferior and the competition worse, and it competes in less hostile stadiums.
The dispute drew the attention of then Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden, who came out in support of the women in a statement on Twitter in May.
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