Bill Text: HI HR67 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Resolution 67

Introduced

Bill Title: Recognizing Ashley Badis, Alexis Badis, Abigail Pothier, And Tatiana Arteaga As Trailblazers For Gender Equality And Equity In Hawaii High School Sports.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Resolution adopted in final form. [HR67 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-HR67-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	67
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

recognizing ASHLEY BADIS, ALEXIS BADIS, ABIGAIL POTHIeR, AND TATIANA arteaga as trailblazers for gender equality and equity in hawaii high school sports.

WHEREAS, James Campbell High School graduates, Ashley Badis, Alexis Badis, Abigail Pothier, and Tatiana ArteAga advocated for gender equality as students by raising awareness regarding the lack of stand-alone locker rooms for female athletes, which highlighted concerns regarding equity, safety, and lack of equal opportunities; and

WHEREAS, despite Congress passing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity, ASHLEY BADIS, ALEXIS BADIS, ABIGAIL POTHIER, and TATIANA arteaga brought attention to inequities taking place in their school with girls' sports receiving fewer resources than boys' sports; these resources included practice and competition facilities along with adjustments in scheduling resulting in a prioritization in boys' sports; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, in an unprecedented move, Ashley Badis, Alexis Badis, Abigail PothiEr, and Tatiana ArteAga were joined by the ACLU of Hawaiʻi in filing a federal class-action lawsuit over the lack of girls' facilities and opportunities in Hawaii schools, claiming a violation of Title IX; and

WHEREAS, during the 2022 legislative session, the Hawaii State Legislature appropriated more than $60 million to build new locker facilities for female athletes, including $6 million designated for a new athletic facility at James Campbell High School, which includes a new girls' locker room; and

WHEREAS, in July 2023, Ashley Badis, the lead plaintiff, was presented with a Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award at the ESPY Awards ceremony for her efforts to ensure Title IX compliance to end gender discrimination in high school sports, which spearheaded change within her community and the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, at the end of 2023, the parties settled the gender equity lawsuit; the settlement included a seven-year compliance plan for monitoring gender equality of female athletes, regular visits by an independent evaluator to ensure equal athletic opportunities, the creation of a hotline and complaint process for students, parents, and staff to report violations, and protections for students who raise issues about gender equity from retaliation; and

WHEREAS, on February 16, 2024, the U.S. District Court approved the settlement in this landmark class-action lawsuit; the settlement ensures equal treatment for female high school athletes and mandates Oahu Interscholastic Association schools to complete an annual Title IX assessment to maintain their membership in the association; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that this body hereby recognizes Ashley Badis, Alexis Badis, Abigail PothiEr, and Tatiana ArteAga as trailblazers for gender equality and equity in Hawaii high school sports and commends them for their efforts in bringing change to James Campbell High School athletics so that future female athletes may be able to pursue opportunities without limitations.