In December 2018, the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, together with Legal Aid at Work and Simpson Thacher & Barlett, filed a Title IX class action lawsuit on behalf of brave Campbell High School female student-athletes against the Hawaiʻi Department of Education and the Oahu Interscholastic Association seeking to finally address decades of unequal treatment in Hawaiʻi public school athletics.
Title IX requires equal treatment and benefits in athletic programs — things like locker rooms, practice facilities, and competitive facilities; equipment and supplies; scheduling of games and practice times; availability and quality coaching; travel opportunities; medical and training services and facilities; participation opportunities, and publicity and promotion.
Plaintiffs defeated early attempts to dismiss the case, but the U.S. District Court recently denied Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. Plaintiffs are now seeking to appeal this ruling to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and remain committed to leveling the playing field for all girls in Hawaiʻi.