NEWS release 02.24.22: Class Action Heroes Honored 

Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame: 2022 Inductees Announced

Berkeley, 02.24.22 – Five heroes are, today, being inducted into the Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes named plaintiffs whose commitment and determination has led to significant advances in economic, environmental, racial and social justice.

Impact Fund Executive Director Jocelyn Larkin said: “At the heart of every civil rights class action are every day, ordinary, people who put their lives and livelihoods on hold to champion the interests of those who have been discriminated against, denied their rights, and made to feel second-class. Today, we’re grateful to recognize five extraordinary athletes for their bravery and endurance over three decades in the face of overwhelming odds.”

The 2022 inductees are: Amy Cohen, Megan Hull, Lisa Stern Kaplowitz, Eileen Rocchio, and Jennifer Todd, named plaintiffs in the case Cohen v. Brown University.

Cohen v. Brown University, decided in 1993, was the nation’s first appeals courts case determining what Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 required schools to do to provide women with equal opportunities to participate in intercollegiate athletics, whether that was constitutional, and how equal treatment for women and men was measured. The case made new law though five legal decisions, including two appellate decisions, applying Title IX to intercollegiate athletics, and resulted in a 1998 settlement agreement. It brought national attention to the need for gender equity in sports, inspired women to stand up for their rights, and prompted schools to comply with the law to avoid litigation.

The plaintiffs fought through sexism, ignorance, and abuse. When they originally sued Brown for violating Title IX, the Athletic Director told them he “thought he had gotten rid of us.” Brown misrepresented the law. The school newspaper wrote scathing articles. The student body believed them. National press denounced the lawsuit, too. But they kept fighting. Amy Cohen used the case’s success to advance gender equity nationwide. She testified before Congress, wrote op-eds in The New York Times and elsewhere, appeared in documentaries, led Title IX workshops, and spoke at Harvard, the NCAA, and numerous camps and schools. 

These athletes had to face Brown University again when it violated the 1998 settlement agreement. , Emails between the school’s Chancellor and President called the settlement “this pestilential thing” and stressed the need not “to rile up the Cohens of the world.” Because of the women’s persistence, however, Brown had to reinstate two women’s teams it tried to eliminate and confirmed the plaintiffs’ lasting impact.

The full story of the case can be read here.

Reflecting on her experience, Cohen said: “I have received many honors, which I have accepted not because I felt I was worthy, but because they have helped continue to bring attention to the inequalities and injustices in sports across our country.”

In June of this year, Title IX turns 50. Over the past 50 years, progress has been made towards equality and equity in sports, but we still have a long way to go before we see true equality.

“Taking on famous institutions is not for the fainthearted. Our inductees had to endure the full force of Brown’s myopic and enduring hostility to the principle of equality enshrined in Title IX . The years of litigation and decades of monitoring take both courage and tenacity-- qualities our inductees have in abundance,” said Helen Kang, Chair of the Impact Fund’s Grant Advisory Committee, which selected the inductees.

The Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame was conceived early in 2016 as a way to acknowledge the exceptional courage and sacrifice of lead plaintiffs in civil rights class actions. The Impact Fund, which serves as a support center for civil rights class action litigation, took the lead in bringing the face of class action litigation to the fore.

“We are committed to telling these amazing stories of bravery to help our legislators and the public understand how important the class action tool is for access to justice,” concluded Larkin. 

ENDS

The Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame

Renee Amochaev

Elaine & Walter Barry

Guillermo Benitez

Vicki Butler

Kerrie Campbell

Lynne Coates

Amy Cohen

Jessy Cruz 

Patrice Daniels

Mike Dragovich 

D’Angelo Foster

Megan Hull

Dustin Jones