This week, the Hawaii Department of Education revealed a proposed settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging unequal treatment of girls' athletic programs at Campbell High School. The U.S. District Court of Hawaii had issued preliminary approval for the settlement in October 2023, with the next hearing scheduled for the following month.
The State Department of Education announced this proposed settlement on January 16, and disseminated a notice that members of the class were entitled to submit comments about the settlement before the February 16 hearing. These comments should be mailed to US District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi at the US District Court – District of Hawaii.
The civil rights lawsuit was first announced by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in a press release on December 6, 2018. This release highlighted that both the Hawaii State Department of Education and the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) were named in the class action lawsuit. Although it did not disclose any plaintiffs' names, it did detail several violations of Title IX - also known as Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act - including allegations that during the 2017-2018 school year, female athletes were forced to hold dry land and open-ocean swim practices due to DOE's failure to secure a pool for Campbell girls water polo team practice until after season commencement; travel off Oahu is disproportionately reserved for football and other boys’ sports; and coaching funds for girls’ sports are diverted by DOE and OIA to hire more coaches for boys’ sports and increase their pay.
In November 2023, Hawaii Public Radio interviewed Ashley Badis, one of the former athletes who initiated this lawsuit alongside Tatiana Troup. Both were members of James Campbell High School's water polo team when they raised concerns about standalone locker rooms being provided only for male athletes. Badis expressed her relief over the impending settlement nearly six years after initiating the lawsuit. She emphasized that a crucial aspect of the settlement is the requirement for education on Title IX, designed to protect athletes from sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal funding.