FARGO, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – A lawsuit claiming the University of North Dakota (UND) violated federal law by cutting its women’s ice hockey program can proceed after the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s dismissal. The lawsuit, filed under Title IX, seeks to reinstate the program that was cut in 2017 due to financial constraints.
On Wednesday, Aug. 14, the appeals court ruled that two of the four plaintiffs, Calli Forsberg and Maya Tellmann, had standing to sue UND and the North Dakota University System. This decision reverses a 2023 ruling by U.S. District Judge Peter D. Welte, who dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools. The plaintiffs argued that UND’s decision to eliminate the women’s hockey program caused them ongoing harm. Forsberg was recruited by UND before the program was cut and still has college eligibility, while Tellmann also meets academic requirements and retains eligibility.
The appeals court’s decision allows the lawsuit to move forward, potentially leading to the reinstatement of the women’s hockey program. However, the court agreed that the other two plaintiffs, Morgan Stenseth and Emily Becker, did not have standing as they could not prove injury directly caused by UND’s decision.