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Maui Girls’ Softball Team Sues D.O.E. & County to ‘Level the Playing Field’
March 18, 2010
Hawaii Department of Education and County of Maui sued for discriminating against Maui’s softball players in violation of the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act and U. S. Constitution
HONOLULU – Three Baldwin High School (“BHS”) softball players, their parents, and their coach are charging the Hawaii State Department of Education (“DOE”) and the County of Maui (“County”) with unfair discrimination against girls’ athletics.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii Foundation (“ACLU”) and Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing (“AHFI”) filed a lawsuit today in federal district court charging the DOE and County with violating the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act (also known as “Title IX”) and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Plaintiffs seek an immediate court order that will give the BHS girls’ softball team equal access to playing fields before their season ends in May 2010.
While BHS boys’ baseball players practice and compete in the Iron Maehara Stadium – a 1,500 seat stadium with batting cages, an air-conditioned press box, a professional scoreboard, and a beautifully manicured field – the girls are relegated to a rock-strewn dirt field a mile away. There have been reports of assaults on women along the path from the school to the field, and once the girls get to their practice facility, it is not even the right size for girls’ softball.
“The field that the girls have to play on is unsafe; they are risking injury, losing valuable practice time and playing on a field that doesn’t even have the right distance fence. I will not stand by and watch while the DOE and County crush these girls’ hopes and dreams for their futures,” stated Coach Joe Duran, who was named Maui Interscholastic League Coach of the Year in 2008 and was threatened with being fired by BHS Principal Natalie Gonsalves and BHS Athletic Director Kahai Shishido when he tried to stand up for the girls’ rights.
Laurie Temple, ACLU attorney said, “The BHS girls’ softball team won the State Championship in 2007 and has won the Maui Interscholastic League for three years in a row, but they’re still treated like second-class citizens. We are disappointed that Maui, the birthplace of Patsy Mink and many great athletes, is not supporting girls’ athletics and ensuring that they are treated fairly.”
The mission of the ACLU of Hawaii is to protect the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the U.S. and State Constitutions. The ACLU of Hawaii fulfills this through legislative, litigation, and public education programs statewide. The ACLU of Hawaii is a non-partisan and private nonprofit organization that provides its services at no cost to the public and does not accept government funds. The ACLU of Hawaii has been serving Hawaii since 1965.
Ph.: (808)522-5900 Fax: (808)522-5909 Email: office@acluhawaii.org
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