Sonoma State University coaches filed a civil rights complaint against the university on Wednesday, alleging that its decision to eliminate its NCAA sports teams will disproportionately hurt students and faculty from historically marginalized communities.
The complaint, filed with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, is the second lodged by a movement of student-athletes, alumni and athletic staff to try to stop Sonoma State from cutting its 11 NCAA Division II teams at the end of the academic year.
According to Save Seawolves Athletics spokesperson Benjamin Ziemer, it expands on last week’s initial complaint, calling for an investigation into the potential “disparate impact” of the sports program eliminations, to include the effect on coaches and staff in addition to athletes.
The complaint says that 65% of Sonoma State’s coaching staff are members of federally recognized protected classes, which include racial minorities and women.