Manatt is proud to share the end of the court-ordered monitoring period for the Sweetwater Union High School District following a 17-year-long case for equity in girls’ high school sports.
In conjunction with the California Women’s Law Center and Legal Aid at Work, Manatt helped girls from the Castle Park High School softball team sue for violations of Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in education, including athletic programs. After seven years of litigation and winning at the trial and appellate courts, the parties entered a 10-year compliance plan in 2014 to ensure the school remedied the issues outlined in the lawsuit.
During this monitoring period, the District steadily made progress toward equity, including updating fields and facilities, providing regular Title IX training, and increasing opportunities for girls in sports.
“For the past 17 years, the Sweetwater case has served as a reminder of the rights enshrined in Title IX that had been denied to the girls at Castle Park High School and of the systemic change necessary to make certain it never happens again,” said Esra Hudson, partner and leader of Manatt’s employment and labor practice. “The compliance period in this case meant that not only did the CPHS 2007 softball team secure victory in the eyes of the law, but they also ensured lasting change for all future girls at their alma mater and across California.”
Read more about the case here.