Posted on: Thursday, June 21, 2001

UH civil rights counselor says HHSAA rule is illegal

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

A gender equity advocate yesterday said the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association is breaking state law with its restrictions on board meetings.

The board requires members of the public to give at least seven days written notice before they can attend meetings.

But Jill Nunokawa, a University of Hawai'i civil rights counselor who is president of the Gender Equity Sports Club, said the rule violates state law on access to government meetings. Nunokawa said she has been told she cannot attend today's board meeting because she did not give seven days written notice.

Executive director Keith Amemiya said the association, which operates all state high school championship tournaments, is a nonprofit, private corporation and not subject to the same requirements as government agencies. He said the association was an arm of the Department of Education until 1996, when it became an independent corporation.

Nunokawa and Common Cause Hawai'i spokesman Larry Meach-am insist it is a public entity. The association serves 78 public and private schools, four of the five members on the executive board are public high school principals and its headquarters is at Stevenson Middle School.

Amemiya said the board wants advance notice primarily because it would help determine the size of the meeting room and thus help save costs. He said, however, the board would be willing to consider changing the rules and "will certainly look at the seven-day requirement."

Nunokawa, who has been an outspoken advocate of gender equity in school sports, said the board is not in compliance with Federal Title IX, which ordered equal opportunities for females in education in 1972.

Amemiya denied that. But he said, "I want to emphasize that this decision was directed specifically at Jill and only for this board meeting. Our board meeting already has a full agenda and we will be more than willing to accommodate Jill at our next board meeting."

Nunokawa denied a claim by Amemiya that she yelled, screamed and insulted the board members at a 1999 meeting.