A judge has ruled that a reference to Peyton Manning can remain in a Title IX lawsuit filed against the University of Tennessee and that the case shouldn't be moved from Nashville to Knoxville.
U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger issued the ruling Tuesday.
The lawsuit filed by eight unidentified women says Tennessee has violated Title IX regulations and created a "hostile sexual environment" through a policy of indifference toward assaults by athletes.
One paragraph mentions a sexual harassment complaint made by a Tennessee trainer in 1996 that included Manning, then the Volunteers quarterback.
Lawyers for the school said the Manning reference should be struck because of its "utter lack of relevance" to the lawsuit. Plaintiffs said it's "entirely relevant" to show the existence of a "hostile and discriminatory sexual environment."
