Union City School District To Improve Girls’ Athletic Opportunities

(Union City, NJ) – The Union City School District has agreed to improve athletic opportunities for its female students, following an agreement between the District and the National Women’s Law Center.In November 2017, NWLC, represented by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, informed Union City High School and other New Jersey schools that they were out of compliance with Title IX—the federal law banning sex discrimination in education. NWLC flagged how Union City’s own data showed that while considerable progress had been made over the past few years, girls were not receiving equal athletic opportunities according to Title IX guidelines.

The school has agreed to improve opportunities for girls, including commitments to:

  • Offer additional sports and/or additional levels of teams for girls if it is determined there is sufficient but unmet interest;
  • Make facilities improvements, such as using its best efforts to provide girls access to the school’s state-of-the-art rooftop field overlooking Manhattan;
  • Provide girls with equal quality equipment, coaches, trainers and training rooms and travel, and address any inequities in the scheduling of games and practice times.

“We applaud the Union City School District for stepping up to the plate to improve opportunities for its female students and setting a positive example for other schools,” said Neena Chaudhry, General Counsel and Senior Advisor of Education at NWLC.

“The Union City School District, long recognized as a high achieving district in an urban community, is committed to giving our girls equal opportunities to reap the many benefits of playing sports,” said Silvia Abbato, Union City Superintendent of Schools. “We look forward to collaborating with the National Women’s Law Center to continue to level the playing field for girls.”

“Sports equity is vital to girls—to their self-esteem, self-advancement and self-confidence,” said Jayma Meyer, an attorney with the law firm of Simpson Thacher. “When girls participate in sports they develop long-term skills that put them on the road to success.”

“As a New Jersey native, I am so proud that Union City is working with the Joan and James H . Bernstein Fund at the National Women’s Law Center—dedicated to helping girls in New Jersey gain equal access to sports and the lifelong benefits they yield.”

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For immediate release: June 18, 2019
Contact: Inés Rénique, [email protected]