Support For Shannon Miller; Meet the Author of the ‘Expert Report’ into the lawsuit of SHANNON MILLER, JEN BANFORD, AND ANNETTE WILES vs. THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

 

The following are excerpts, quotes and summaries from the ‘Expert Report’ created by Donna A. Lopiano PH.D, which has been created to independently look at all of the evidence provided in the case of:  Shannon Miller, Jen Banford and Annette Wiles v The board of Regents of The University of Minnesota

All of the content in our summaries have been pulled directly from the report and are in no way opinions, conclusions or comments of the FCN.  We have simply provided our audience with a concise and shorter version of the report written by Donna A. Lopiano PH.D in the hope of raising awareness of the case.

There are 8 questions in which Donna A. Lopiano PH.D has been asked to present her findings, and over the coming few days, we will be publishing each individually for you to read.  The full 124 page report which is a public document will be available on the FCN website for all to read further.

The FCN would like to offer its full support of Shannon Miller, Jennifer Banford and Annette Wiles.  Discrimination of any coach based on their gender, sexual orientation, race or any other factor is abhorrent and we stand by those that speak out against it.  We have decided to release content from this report with the aim of raising awareness of such discrimination and to inspire other coaches who may be going through similar incidents to speak the truth.

 

Below is the biography, of the author of this expert report….

#SupportShannon

 

Donna A. Lopiano, Ph.D. Biography

 

“I am the president of Sports Management Resources (“SMR”), a consulting practice that focuses on helping educational institutions and sport organizations solve sports program integrity, equity, growth, and development challenges. My practice includes an emphasis on gender equity and college athletics management.

Before founding SMR, I was the Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a national 501c (3) not-for-profit education organization located in East Meadow, New York (1992-2007). I previously served as a coach, assistant professor, and athletics director at various NCAA institutions, including 18 years as Director of Women’s Athletics at the University of Texas at Austin. I also served as president of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, the organization that formerly regulated women’s intercollegiate athletics prior to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Junior College Athletic Association offering programs for women. I have received many national and international awards recognizing my work in gender equity and sports management.

I am considered one of the foremost national experts on gender equity in athletics. I have testified about gender equity before congressional committees and state and federal administrative commissions several times. I also served as a gender equity consultant to the 3

Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now the Department of Education). In that capacity, I played a role in drafting the Office for Civil Rights 1979 Policy Interpretation on Title IX and Intercollegiate Athletics (which was intended to help institutions to understand and comply with their gender equity obligations under Title IX) and the 1980 Investigators Manual (which was updated in 1990 and intended to educate OCR investigators about how to assess athletic program Title IX compliance).

In my capacities as a nationally recognized athletics administrator and the Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation (“WSF”), I was often called upon by the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education and legal counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to advise in the development of “Dear Colleague” letters and other advisories and interpretations related to Title VII and Title IX applications to interscholastic and intercollegiate sport. At the Women’s Sports Foundation, I oversaw the production of numerous research projects related to gender equity and sports participation of girls and women, including a comprehensive study of the Office of Civil Rights Title IX athletics enforcement efforts. I have also served as a gender equity consultant to state education agencies, school districts, and institutions of higher education.

I am also considered an expert in athletics administration and sports management. I have taught a wide range of graduate and undergraduate university-level courses involving the management of interscholastic and intercollegiate sport, assisted colleges and universities in assessing their organizational climates with regard to gender and racial diversity, and have spoken at numerous conferences on these subjects. I am currently an adjunct instructor at Southern Connecticut State University teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in sports management. I train future athletic directors and sports administrators. With Dr. Constance Zotos, I have authored the Athletic Director’s Desk Reference, considered by most to be the most comprehensive policy compilation focused on meeting the needs of high school and college athletic directors and have written numerous articles on gender equity in sports, 4 sports management, intercollegiate athletics reform and the benefits of sports participation for women and girls.

My expert qualifications are based upon my education, academic background, previous employment, experience, and other related factors. My background and qualifications, as well as a listing of my publications, to the best of my recollection, are set forth in the attached curriculum vitae as Exhibit A. My www.SportsManagementResources.com web site contains my blogs on athletics issues and other policy related advice produced by me that are not included in my curriculum vitae.”