Jurisprudence

Nine members of the Brown University women’s gymnastics team sued the Ivy League school, alleging sex discrimination and seeking funding for their team and women’s volleyball.

Brown, citing a potential $1.6-million deficit this year, eliminated funding for those teams and for men’s water polo and golf.

The class-action lawsuit in federal court also wants half of Brown’s athletes to be women, corresponding to its 49% women’s enrollment, attorney Arthur Bryant said.

The lawsuit relies on Title IX of the 1972 federal Education Act, which Bryant said requires sports opportunities closely paralleling enrollments.