Sioux Falls gymnastics lawsuit returns to lower court after interim financial settlement – Sioux Falls Live

SIOUX FALLS — A lawsuit filed over the Sioux Falls school district’s decision to eliminate gymnastics from its athletic offerings is heading back to a lower court after an agreement was reached between the athletes and the district.

In an order filed Friday, June 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals returned the Title IX discrimination lawsuit filed by Sioux Falls athletes and their parents to the U.S. District Court in South Dakota, ending the Sioux Falls School District’s attempt to appeal the district judge’s temporary injunction.

The lawsuit dates back to the summer of 2023, when the Sioux Falls School District — in an effort to cut part of its budget — eliminated funding for its gymnastics program. By September, a dozen female athletes and 14 adults had filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the cut violated Title IX.

In mid-October, District Judge Charles Kornmann issued a preliminary injunction that prohibited the district from eliminating the program, selling equipment, making budget cuts beyond the district’s 2022-2023 budget, or limiting or denying the gymnastics program access to facilities, training, or competition opportunities.

As part of its effort to eliminate the program, the district asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the injunction. But before the appeals court could rule, the athletes and the district reached an agreement that would allow for funding for sports “at least” through the 2026-27 school year. Additional details of the agreement remain under seal.

After the agreement was reached, the U.S. Court of Appeals vacated the temporary injunction, saying it would have “no practical effect until the lawsuit is imminently dismissed.”

With the lawsuit now back in district court, it’s unclear how the discrimination case will proceed, if at all, or whether the district intends to reconsider eliminating the sport once the temporary agreement expires at the end of the 2027 school year.

Hunter, a South Dakota native, joined Forum Communications as a reporter for the Mitchell (SD) Republic in June 2021. He currently works as a digital reporter for Sioux Falls Live, where he primarily covers Sioux Falls crime and Lincoln County government.