Marshall University Drops Plans to Eliminate Women's Swimming and Diving Week After Title IX Lawsuit
Press Inquiries: Contact partner Cary Joshi (cjoshi@baileyglasser.com) or partner Joshua Hammack (jhammack@baileyglasser.com)
In a win for student-athletes and equality, Marshall University announced that it will not eliminate its Women's Swimming & Diving program. Marshall has also committed to fundraise with the team, alumni, and the broader community to improve the team’s facilities and other infrastructure.
The decision came just over a week after Bailey Glasser, which represents sixteen members of the team, brought suit in federal court and sought a preliminary injunction to prohibit Marshall from eliminating any women’s team. The lawsuit, Dodd v. Marshall University, was filed March 9, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The litigation team is led by partners Cary Joshi and Joshua I. Hammack and includes lawyer Gabrielle Marcum.
BG partner Joshua I. Hammack, celebrated the news: "This is a great result for the Swimming and Diving team, for the broader Marshall community, and for women everywhere," Hammack said. "These young women have secured a better, more equitable athletics program for themselves and for future generations of Marshall students. It was an absolute joy to watch the Board’s announcement with them yesterday afternoon."
Partner Cary Joshi added: “We are grateful that Marshall acted swiftly to keep the team and to help it thrive in the future. The way these student-athletes came together, after receiving heartbreaking news, and advocated for themselves and for each other is nothing short of incredible. We look forward to seeing them back in the pool next season."
Bailey Glasser is a leading law firm dedicated to enforcing Title IX to win gender equity for student-athletes across the country. Learn more about our Title IX work here.
