US Women’s soccer team sues for gender discrimination News
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US Women’s soccer team sues for gender discrimination

Twenty-eight players of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Friday for multiple claims of gender discrimination.

In a complaint filed in federal district court in California, the women allege that the USSF has consistently discriminated against them based on their gender, treating them as inferior to the male players who play for the US Men’s National Team (USMNT). The complaint states that even though the women and men play in similar competitions and have similar responsibilities, the women have been paid substantially less, despite the fact that the USWNT’s “performance has been superior to that of the male players–with the female players, in contrast to male players, becoming world champions.” Most notably, the complaint alleges that the USSF has cited “market realities” as justification for the wage disparity between the men and women, despite the fact that the “WNT earned more profit, played more games, won more games, earned more championships, [and] garnered higher television audiences.” In addition to wage disparities, the complaint states that the USWNT often had fewer amenities, played in lower-quality locations, and suffered from lower quality staff than the men. The suit seeks class action status for all players who have been a part of the team since 2015, and grew out of an Equal Opportunity and Employment Commission (EEOC) complaint filed by several of the highest-profile women in 2015.

The United States National Soccer Team Players Association, the labor union for both the men and women’s national soccer teams, issued a statement supporting the lawsuit, saying that “An equal division of revenue attributable to the MNT and WNT programs is our primary pursuit as we engage with the US Soccer Federation in collective bargaining.” The USSF has not yet responded to the complaint.