Gymnasts file lawsuit against Sioux Falls School District for cutting sport

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Gymnasts from Sioux Falls claim the School District violates Title IX policies by cutting the sport.

In court documents obtained by Dakota News Now, the complaint claims that the July decision to eliminate gymnastics as a sport from the Sioux Falls School District “will deny female students the same level of opportunity and benefits that it is affording to male students.”

The 10 plaintiffs on the case include female athletes that were impacted by the School Board’s decision. They range from kindergarteners to seniors in high school.

According to the court documents, the complaint aims to prevent the sale of gymnastics equipment and to prevent the School District from cutting the sport altogether.

The complaint claims that the overall level of each gender’s participation in sports is what matters, not the number of sports available to each gender. According to data within the complaint, 799 female and 1,121 male high school students participated in a school-sponsored athletic program in the 2022-2023 school year.

The complaint claims that if the gymnastics program is dropped, 32 fewer female athletes will compete within the district.

Dakota News Now reached out to the Sioux Falls School District for comment.

“The Sioux Falls School District is aware of the filing and does not comment on pending litigation.”

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