A federal judge rejected a request to revive the lawsuit at the heart of the University of Colorado recruiting scandal, saying Thursday that two women who claimed they were sexually assaulted by athletes had not proven their claim against the school was valid.

The women have argued that the school violated federal Title IX gender equity law by fostering an atmosphere that led to their alleged assaults at a 2001 off-campus party. Police investigated but no sexual assault charges were filed.

U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn tossed out the lawsuit a year ago, and said Thursday the women had not changed his mind after arguing there was new evidence showing coaches and trainers were aware of similar problems before the alleged assaults.

"There is much about the incidents evidenced in the record of this case that cries out for justice," the judge wrote. "There is no doubt that some of the harassment, abuse and assaults reflected in the record are shameful at best and criminal at worst.

"A cry for justice, however, does not mean that Title IX should be expanded to provide justice simply because the cry for justice has not been answered otherwise."

The recruiting scandal dominated headlines in Colorado and beyond for months. Gov. Bill Owens at one point appointed the attorney general to lead a grand jury investigation, which resulted in an indictment against a former football recruiting aide for soliciting a prostitute and misusing a school cell phone.

A separate probe, backed by the CU Board of Regents, concluded that drugs, alcohol and sex were used to entice blue chip recruits to the Boulder campus but said none of the activity was knowingly sanctioned by university officials.

The school responded by overhauling oversight of the athletic department and putting some of the most stringent policies in place for any football recruiting program. The fallout included the resignation of university President Elizabeth Hoffman and the departure of athletic director Dick Tharp. Football coach Gary Barnett stepped down last fall.

"The university is very pleased with Judge Blackburn's ruling holding that the university is committed to a safe and non-discriminatory environment for all its students and faculty," he said.

"We agree with the court in its conclusion that this is a case that cries out for justice, and we disagree with the court that the evidence that has developed over the past several years should not provide relief to the plaintiffs," attorneys Seth Benezra and Kim Hult said.

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