New allegations in a Title IX complaint against the University of Oregon have surfaced, detailing that a senior administrator allegedly warned beach volleyball players that the 2021 season would be canceled if they continued to voice their concerns about their treatment.

The lawsuit was initiated in December 2023 by 32 female student athletes from the university, including 26 from the beach volleyball team and six rowers. They claim that UO has not provided female athletes with the same level of treatment, financial aid, and participation opportunities that male athletes receive, as specified in the latest filings.

This lawsuit followed an investigation by The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com, which uncovered significant disparities between the beach volleyball team and other sports, including the fact that they do not have access to their own facilities and have to practice in a public park with frequently locked restrooms due to local drug issues.

On Thursday, the plaintiffs submitted new documents in response to Oregon’s earlier motions for summary judgment and dismissal. These documents included sworn statements from two former beach volleyball players, Ashley Schroeder and Josie Cole.

In her statement, Schroeder described meetings where the team raised their concerns with Senior Women’s Administrator Lisa Peterson about inadequate facilities and financial support during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Schroeder reported that Peterson repeatedly told them that their complaints about lacking basic support and resources were not serious, attributing the issues to the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Schroeder, Peterson stated that if they persisted with their complaints, they risked the cancellation of their season.

Schroeder mentioned that her teammates were genuinely alarmed by the threat of losing their season.

The previous year’s season had ended prematurely due to the pandemic, disrupting the schedules of fall and winter sports as well.

Additionally, Cole noted in her statement that whenever athletes approached Peterson with concerns, she would blame COVID-19 and warn that the season might be jeopardized again, despite her promises for improvements that never materialized.

Peterson left her position at Oregon in September 2022 to join the Pac-12 and is now with the Big 12 as vice president of Olympic competition. During 2021, Oregon’s beach volleyball team participated in 19 matches. Peterson has denied the allegations made by Schroeder and Cole when contacted by YSL News Sports.

Schroeder also recalled a meeting in fall 2023 with Oregon’s new Senior Woman Administrator, Valerie Johnson, who spoke to the team in a tone that felt condescending. Johnson allegedly dismissed the importance of Title IX and seemed to be trying to identify those who might cause trouble among the athletes.

On Friday, the Oregon athletic department’s spokesperson, Jimmy Stanton, reiterated in an email that the claims in the complaint are false, asserting that both Peterson and Johnson have been longtime advocates for Title IX. The department’s prior answer document already contests the plaintiffs’ allegations and plans to address the new claims in court.

According to the court’s scheduling order, Oregon must respond to the plaintiffs’ filings by December 9.

A 2022 YSL News investigation indicated that, even 50 years after the introduction of Title IX, many schools in the U.S. remain in violation of this federal law, often facing few consequences for non-compliance, with the most significant penalties stemming from civil lawsuits.

This story was updated with new information.