Hawaii gets serious about preventing domestic abuse

Ladies Night with the University of Hawaii football team Saturday promises to be entertaining. Following a clinic including drills and a session covering strategy, there’s dinner, a fashion show and dance party.

But the last big public event before the Rainbow Warriors’ first practice Monday won’t be all fun and games. Kiri Siu from the Domestic Violence Action Center of Hawaii will address the crowd of female fans on some serious issues.

“I was quite pleased to get the call, even though at first I didn’t quite get it,” said Nanci Kreidman, chief executive officer of the the DVAC. “But we never pass up an opportunity to get our message out. I think it’s a nice twist. In that crowd, just like in any crowd, there’s someone who will benefit. Someone who needs to know how to get help will now know how to get help.”

Maybe it seems reactionary, considering the Rainbow Warriors’ best player, Kennedy Tulimasealii, was dismissed from the program in June after pleading no contest to criminal charges related to domestic abuse.

But Kreidman said the DVAC has developed a strong working relationship with UH including the athletic department in particular.

“They’ve undertaken some pretty proactive initiatives,” she said. “I did have an opportunity to meet (athletic director David Matlin last year) and am thrilled he’s accepted a partnership.”

Matlin said education and awareness for all student-athletes and staff regarding domestic and campus violence is a top priority — and was even before Tulimasealii was arrested in April.

“We continue to talk about it, making sure we’re educating our kids about this,” he said.

The victim in Tulimasealii’s case, his now ex-girlfriend, was also a UH student-athlete. It’s at least the second time in the past five years a UH female athlete was allegedly assaulted by a male athlete.

Violence is an alarming reality on college campuses nationwide, and it’s not just athletes and it’s not just men attacking women.

“The message we want to put out is it’s not just a men’s issue. It’s an issue, period,” said associate athletic director Amanda Paterson, who is also responsible for gender equity issues as a deputy Title IX coordinator.

UH athletes and coaches have always turned out in large numbers for the annual Men’s March Against Violence, which is scheduled for Oct. 13 this year.

All student-athletes underwent mandatory sexual violence prevention training last spring, and the football team started a program called Mentor Violence Prevention (MVP).

Football coach Nick Rolovich participated in the Hawaii Says NO MORE domestic violence awareness campaign.

“Also, our social media policy restricts using any derogatory words toward women,” Rolovich said.

Proceeds from Saturday’s clinic will go to the DVAC.

“(Basketball coach) Eran Ganot is very responsive, too. He came through 100 percent with help for our (fundraising) golf tournament,” Kreidman said. “We just have to do everything we can, whether it’s marching, training or collaborating in events like this.”

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quickreads.