Speakers Include: Riley Gaines, May
Mailman, Kara Dansky,
Lauren Bone, Plaintiffs Taking on
Kappa
RSVP TO PRESS@IWF.ORG
Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa
Gamma Oral Arguments
Demonstration and Press Conference in Support
of the Brave Sorority Women Fighting To Save Sisterhood
The United
States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Byron
White Courthouse
1823 Stout Street
Denver, CO
May 14,
2024
7:30 AM MT:
Demonstration Begins
9:00 AM MT: Oral Arguments, Room
1
10:30 AM MT: Press Conference
DENVER, May 13, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, May
14, members of the media are invited to attend and cover the
"Save Sisterhood" demonstration and press conference outside
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit surrounding oral
arguments for the landmark Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa
Gamma sorority lawsuit, led by Independent Women's Law
Center (IWLC). The six female plaintiffs in the case will join
with supporters across the country including Kappa Kappa Gamma
active and alumnae members, Riley
Gaines, and a bipartisan group of women's advocacy
organizations, including Independent Women's Forum (IWF),
Women's Declaration International USA (WDI USA), Women's Liberation Front
(WoLF), and Independent Women's Network (IWN), to voice
their dedication to preventing the erasure or diminishment of
women. These supporters span the political spectrum but unite in
support of women and women's single-sex organizations, sisterhood,
and sex-based rights.
The lawsuit challenges Kappa Kappa Gamma (Kappa) directors'
breach of fiduciary duty to the sorority. In clear violation of
Kappa's bylaws and the promise it has made to generations of female
members, in fall 2022, the University of
Wyoming chapter of Kappa was pressured to initiate a male.
After months of being threatened with discipline for voicing their
pain, six brave women sought to preserve the experience of
sisterhood by filing suit. Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa
Gamma, now led by IWLC, seeks to hold Kappa to its own bylaws,
which provide that "a new member shall be a woman."
In previewing the oral argument, May
Mailman, Independent Women's Law Center Director and Lead
Counsel in Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma, stated:
"Kappa's directors have a simple duty.
They must respect the clear terms of Kappa's bylaws. They utterly
failed to do so by ending the sorority's women-only membership and
threatening existing members to accept the unlawful change or else
lose their own membership. If this fight were about any other
common term, the violation would be obvious. Gender ideology is not
a reason to upend simple legal principles, and we look forward to
making our case to the Tenth Circuit."
Other women's organizations filed briefs with the Tenth Circuit
to support IWLC's position:
- Women's Declaration International USA Amicus Brief
- Women's Liberation Front Amicus Brief
- 450+ Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Amicus Brief
By refusing to clearly define the word "woman" as used in its
own bylaws, Kappa Kappa Gamma leadership and the National
Panhellenic Conference, which filed a brief in support of Kappa,
have denied women the single-sex sisterhood they were once
promised. The NPC brief describes NPC as "the premier advocacy
and support organization for the advancement of the sorority
experience" which serves as the "umbrella group for its 26
women's-only social sororities."
View final brief in Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa
Gamma submitted by Independent Women's Law Center here.
EVENT DETAILS:
SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE:
- May Mailman,
Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Lead Counsel and
Independent Women's Law Center Director
- Riley Gaines, Independent Women's Forum Ambassador
and Lead Plaintiff in Gaines et al v NCAA
- Allie Coghan,
Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and
Independent Women's Forum Ambassador
- Maddie Ramar,
Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and
Independent Women's Forum Ambassador
- Jaylyn Westenbroek,
Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and
Independent Women's Forum Ambassador
- Hannah Holtmeier, Westenbroek et al v. Kappa
Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum
Ambassador
- Patsy Levang, Past Kappa Kappa Gamma National
Foundation President and member of Independent Women's Network
- Cheryl Tuck-Smith,
Long-time member and active contributor to Kappa Kappa Gamma and
member of Independent Women's Network
- Kara Dansky, Women's Declaration International
USA President; WDI USA submitted an amicus brief in
Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma
- Lauren Bone, Women's
Liberation Front Legal Director; WoLF submitted an amicus brief in
Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma
**Mult-box will be
provided.**
**There will be media Q&A and
opportunities for pull asides immediately following the press
conference.**
Please direct all RSVPs and media inquiries to
press@iwf.org.
www.iwf.org
Independent Women's Forum is dedicated to
developing and advancing policies that aren't just well intended,
but actually enhance people's freedom, choices, and
opportunities.
www.iwlc.org
Independent Women's Law Center advocates for
equal opportunity, individual liberty, and the continued legal
relevance of biological sex.
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SOURCE Independent Women's Forum