Trial date set for lawsuit against University of Tennessee concerning athletics department

Trial date set for lawsuit against University of Tennessee concerning athletics department

U.S. District Judge Pamela Reeves recently scheduled a trial for April 21, 2015, whereupon Jenny Moshak, Heather Mason and Collin Schlosser will seek a ruling against the educational institution as part of a suit they first filed in October 2012, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The three plaintiffs allege that the university knowingly prevented female employees from earning equal pay, instating a “testosterone wall” that awarded employees who held positions on the men’s athletic teams more compensation, despite them performing the same tasks for women’s teams.

Moshak formerly served as the school’s associate director of sports medicine, while Mason and Schlosser were previously employed as strength coaches for the Lady Vols, the news source noted.

Each plaintiff is no longer affiliated with the University of Tennessee, having previously parted ways for the strangest of reasons, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Schlosser was reportedly terminated on April 16, 2012, along with 15 other UT athletic department employees, while Mason was relieved of her duties and responsibilities a year ago. In addition, Moshak opted to retire early from the school over issues regarding the lawsuit.

This isn’t the only suit concerning discrimination that has recently been filed against the University of Tennessee, however. U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell set a trial date for April 27, 2015 to hear former Lady Vols media director, Debby Jennings’ case against the school and its athletic director, Dave Hart, according to the newspaper. As UT consolidated its men’s and women’s athletic departments in May 2012, Jennings alleges that age and sex discrimination forced her into early retirement after 35 years on the job.

In order to prove discrimination was indeed a factor, the plaintiffs will need to be able to produce direct evidence or provide clear proof through pretext and statistics, as well as previous cases of discrimination.