Attorneys receive CLAY Award for California Women’s Law Center case Ollier v. Sweetwater Union High School District

California Lawyer magazine announced Wednesday that it is honoring the attorneys who achieved a landmark 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the California Women’s Law Center case Ollier v. Sweetwater Union High School District, et. al. with its 2015 Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award.

Former CWLC attorneys J. Cacilia Kim and Vicky L. Barker are receiving the award with Elizabeth Kristen, a senior staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, and Erin C. Witkow, a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP.

Since 2007, CWLC has been fighting to ensure that girls at Castle Park High School have equal access to the athletic opportunities they deserve. It scored a significant victory for these students in September, when the appeals court affirmed a lower court’s ruling that Sweetwater Union High School District is out of compliance with Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in education, including athletic programs.

The 46-page unanimous opinion also found that the school district retaliated against the students by firing their softball coach and taking other adverse actions against them, which provided a rare but important recognition of the breadth of Title IX’s anti-retaliation protections.

The attorneys are among 62 lawyers statewide who are being honored for work with a significant impact in the March 2015 issue of California Lawyer.

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About the California Women’s Law Center
Since its founding in 1989, the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC) has worked to eliminate the barriers that keep women and girls in poverty.  CWLC breaks down barriers and advances the potential of women and girls through transformative litigation, policy advocacy and education.  CWLC is a leader in Title IX education and enforcement in California at the high school level and advocate for the unique needs of women veterans. For more information, visit cwlc.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

February 19, 2015

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Michele Deane
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