The lawsuit, filed in 2022 by past and current female student-athletes, alleged that the university violated Title IX by depriving female varsity student-athletes of equal financial aid, denying them equal athletic benefits and treatment, and retaliating against them because some of them sued SDSU for violating Title IX.
Under the approved agreement, SDSU will pay $300,000 in monetary relief to Class 2 members, defined as female athletes who participated in intercollegiate varsity athletics from the 2018–2019 academic year through the 2024–2025 academic year and did not receive all the athletic financial aid they could have received.
Individual Class 2 members will receive payments between $172.12 and $860.59, depending on the number of qualifying academic years, without needing to submit a claim form.
The settlement also mandates significant injunctive relief for all class members, requiring SDSU to hire a neutral third party to conduct a Gender Equity Review of its athletic department using the U.S. Department of Education's 1990 Title IX Investigator's Manual.
SDSU must use the review findings to implement a Gender Equity Plan, ensuring compliance with Title IX requirements regarding athletic financial aid and treatment by the end of the 2026–2027 academic year.
Specific relief includes providing equitable nutrition to a comparable number of male and female student-athletes, equitable travel options for teams traveling more than six hours away, and equitable hotel stays for competitions in the San Diego area.
Additional mandates include repairs to the women's outdoor track, replacement of turf for the women's varsity lacrosse team by the 2027–2028 academic year, and equitable provision of professional photography, publicity, and video recording for home competitions.
The court also granted Class Counsel's motion for $1,300,000 in attorneys' fees and costs, finding the amount reasonable as it represents less than half of the calculated lodestar of $3,571,874.38.
The court certified two classes for settlement purposes: Class 1 for injunctive relief, covering all female students who participated in intercollegiate varsity athletics at SDSU since February 7, 2022; and Class 2 for monetary relief.
One class member, Daniele Croteau, objected to the settlement, arguing the monetary relief was inadequate and requesting larger injunctive measures. The court rejected the objection, noting that Title IX does not allow for emotional distress or punitive damages and that the injunctive relief mirrors what would likely be ordered at trial.