Former UT softball coach files Title IX suit against university

This story has been edited to include the University of Toledo’s statement regarding the suit.

A former University of Toledo softball coach filed a Title IX complaint suit against the university after a forced resignation last November.

Former coach Tarrah Beyster listed several complaints in the suit, according to an online article from clevescene.com containing the filing in its entirety.

Among the complaints, Beyster alleged that the male baseball team was given preferential treatment over the women’s softball team in several instances. One of the complaints listed was the replacement of dirt to the field that was given to the male team but not the female team.

UT released the following statement via email on Thursday Oct. 26, “While we are unable to comment on pending litigation, we can say that The University of Toledo is committed to gender equality for all student-athletes and athletic programs. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply not true.”

Tarrah Beyster vs. The University of Toledo

According to Beyster, male coaches received multi-year contracts although Beyster herself was not offered one. A complaint concerning locker rooms was another part of the issue listed in the suit.

“Both the women and male coaches had locker rooms, but the University assigned the referees and umpires to use the women coaches’ locker room.” According to the complaint file, “Male referees and umpires walked in on every female coach, and at least three female coaches were nude when a referee or umpire walked in.”

Beyster said she was not met with an adequate response.

“In response to her complaints, [she] was subjected to overt and subtle retaliation, a hostile work environment, and continued discrimination.”

In the suit, she said that an investigation was launched against her without her being properly informed, meeting requests were denied, and fundraiser money was taken away to be used for other sports.

According to the suit filed, Beyster was hired in 2009, despite hesitations about the reputation of the program.

“Almost immediately upon her start at the University, Coach Beyster recognized the glaring inequalities between the men’s and women’s athletic programs, generally, and the softball and baseball programs, specifically,” the suit said.

The suit also said she advocated for gender equality in the sports program, but was ignored or rejected.

In November of 2013, Beyster attended an unannounced and unexpected disciplinary hearing. At the end of the hearing, she was found guilty of insubordination.

According to the suit, when given the choice to be terminated or resign with 90 days’ pay, she chose to resign.

Related: Former track and cross country coach faced sexual harrasment allegations