Three days into a mediation process designed to amicably resolve their gender-discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, the 28 members of the U.S. women’s national soccer team broke off talks Wednesday, likely setting the stage for a jury trial.
The decision to end the talks was made public by players’ spokesperson Molly Levinson, who issued a statement Wednesday night explaining that the players had concluded that their sport’s national governing body, USSF, and its president, Carlos Cordeiro, were determined “to perpetuate fundamentally discriminatory workplace conditions and behavior.”
“It is clear that USSF, including its Board of Directors and President Carlos Cordeiro, fully intend to continue to compensate women players less than men,” the statement read.