State legislators set aside more than $6 million for a track and field and other improvements at Campbell High School, but no girls locker room.

A  lawsuit filed in December against the Department of Education and the Oahu Interscholastic Association said it’s just one example of the school not following title IX guidelines. The lawsuit claims the boys have exclusive access to their own locker room while the girls must:

“Lug their athletic gear around all day” and “must resort to changing in teachers’ closets, in the bathroom of the nearest Burger King, and even on the practice field.” 

Lawmakers allocated money for 10 public schools to design and build girls locker rooms in 2020 and 2021.
 
Title IX Projects-Girls Locker Rooms
Aiea              2020    $5.4 million
Baldwin         2020    $1.4 million
Kaimuki         2020    $400 thousand
Maui              2021    $8 million        
Mililani           2020    $650 thousand
Radford          2020    $250 thousand
Radford          2021    $6 million
Waiakea        2021    $5 million
Waianae        2020    $3.9 million
Waipahu        2020    $4.7 million

Campbell is not on that list.

Representative Rida Cabanilla Arakawa (D), who represents that area said she can think of a couple of reasons why Campbell why.

“When you are sued, and the lawsuit came from Campbell High School, the last thing you want to do is fix it because that is being seen as an admission of guilt,” Cabanilla Arakawa said. 

In a statement, the DOE said it sought more than $42 million to make things title IX compliant.

“The monies allocated will help the Department as we continue to make significant strides towards ensuring that all of our students have equitable access to quality academic and athletic opportunities.” 

Cabanilla Arakawa said the Governor released 1.5 million for planning and design at Campbell and that has to be done first.

“The vice principal said we don’t want them to touch anything in this campus until that part is done with,” Cabanilla Arakawa explained.

The lawsuit states the DOE claimed to be closing gaps since 1978 but what followed was “four decades of delay.”

Female athletes at Campbell will have to wait a little bit longer.