The Hawaii Board of Education has settled a lawsuit filed by female athletes and their parents after the girls were allegedly forced to practice in the ocean and run to Burger King to use the restroom.
The class action lawsuit was filed by girls at James Campbell High School, who allege Hawaii’s largest high school systematically discriminated against them based on their gender, The New York Times reported.
The girls’ water polo team allegedly had to practice in the ocean — even in dangerous conditions — and other female athletes had to use the restroom at the local Burger King and change cars on the bus or under the bleachers because the school didn’t provide lockers. room, they allege in court papers.
Their male counterparts have “exclusive access to a stand-alone sports locker room facility” where they can “store gear, change, shower, use the bathroom, hold team meetings and build team spirit,” the athletes said.
“Female athletes have nothing comparable,” according to a 2018 lawsuit, filed by two members of the women’s water polo team against the Department of Education and the Oahu Interscholastic Association.
The case gained attention in July 2022 when a federal judge ruled it could become a class action.
The class action lawsuit was filed by two girls on the water polo team at James Campbell High School, who allege Hawaii’s largest high school systemically discriminates against gender and sex, The New York Times reported. Facebook/Ashley Badis
In the settlement, the state has agreed to agree to hire an independent evaluator to ensure fairness between the sexes. Additionally, Honolulu schools must follow a seven-year compliance plan and establish a hotline to report discrimination.
The board agreed to settle the case on Friday, for an undisclosed sum.
“We hope that this monumental settlement will be a building block in Hawaii and across the country for a future where every girl is ensured the rights required by Title IX,” Jayma Meyer, an attorney for the athletes, told The Times.
Ashley Badis, one of the girls who filed the suit, told The Times: “I’m glad future students don’t have to go through what my teammates and I did. We just want girls to have the same opportunity to play that boys have.”
The girls’ water polo team allegedly had to practice in the ocean – albeit in dangerous conditions – and other female athletes had to use the restroom at the local Burger King, and change on the bus or under the bleachers because the school didn’t provide room lockers. Their male counterparts have “exclusive access to a stand-alone sports locker room facility” where they can “store equipment, change, shower, use the bathroom, hold team meetings and build team spirit. Image SOPA/LightRocket via Getty Images
Badis, now 22, said at the time the school threatened to cancel the women’s water polo team all together when the girls called out discrimination.
The lawsuit also alleges the state Department of Education prioritized updating boys’ facilities over providing for women, according to the Clearing House.
DOE and OIA claim they have made improvements for girls’ sports at the school, including new baseball and softball fields and lockers for softball players.
In addition, the state has allocated $6 million to the DOE for James Campbell High School’s athletic facilities, which will include girls’ lockers. The funds are part of a $60 million Title IX effort, according to The Times.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
