vol. 62, no. 3

Lye ia i

Academics, Contractors Sue Governor for Barring

State Information on Discrimination

harging that Governor Wilson's

Cis 10 Executive Order barring

collection of statistics on the partici-

pation of women and minorities in

California's public contracting system is an

illegal suppression of crucial information,

civil rights groups on April 2 filed a lawsuit,

Barlow v. Wilson, in Alameda County

Superior Court.

The plaintiffs - who include members

NEWSPAPER OF THE AMERICAN euro:iviL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

aclu news

May/June 1992

of the academic and business communities

- charge that Governor Wilson's sweeping

Executive Order represents an unlawful

attempt to repeal a California law requiring

the state to monitor the participation of

minority- and women-owned businesses in

state contracts. The Order, among other

actions, struck provisions instructing agen-

cies to gather data used to monitor the fair

and equitable awarding of over a billion dol-

Affirmative Action

Wins Out in State

Legislature

ed the defeat of two bills which would

have dismantled or greatly weakened

over thirty of California's affirmative action

programs in public sector employment,

education, and state contracting.

The bills originating in the State

Assembly and State Senate threatened

statutes ranging from the American Indian

Early Childhood Education Program, cred-

ited with greatly reducing the dropout rate

of Native American high school students, to

the programs that provide opportunities for

women and minority-owned business at the

state and local level.

"We're very pleased that the Legislature

voted down these harmful bills," said ACLU

of California Legislative Director Francisco

Lobaco. "The preserved affirmative action

|: April, civil rights advocates celebrat-

| programs are, despite the passage of

Proposition 209, legally and constitutional-

ly sound and help alleviate discrimination

against women and minorities in this state."

Assemblyman Richter and Senator

Kopp drafted the measures, AB 1700 and

SB 2041 respectively, to implement

Governor Wilson's March Executive Order,

which listed 31 state affirmative action

statutes slated to be repealed or altered to

allegedly comply with the requirements of

Proposition 209.

The ACLU and others lobbying against

the bills charged that Proposition 209 does

not require the dismantling of all public

affirmative action programs and that the

programs listed in the bills do not grant

"preferences," but rather provide outreach

Continued on page 4

tf

~Join the ACLU Contingent at the

San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender ae Celebration

SHAKIN IT UP!

Sunday, June 28

Starting 10:30 a.m.

For more information, please call Lisa Maldonado at (415) 621-2493, ext. 46.

Mona Lacszo

lars in state contracts.

"In order to understand and combat dis-

crimination, policy-makers, community

groups and the public must be informed

about the state's use of taxpayer funds," said

attorney Oren Sellstrom of the Lawyers'

Committee for Civil Rights. "If in fact the

state does not discriminate, collecting and

releasing these numbers will prove that. On

the other hand, if discrimination does exist,

what better way to hide it than to stop col-

lecting evidence?"

Dr. Andrew Barlow, who has been a

Visiting Associate Professor of Sociology at

U.C. Berkeley for the last decade and is cur-

rently working on a book about the impact of

civil rights law on race relations, noted, "This

data is crucial for monitoring the impact of

- ACLU members: may y participate in

e nominating process | in ive _ .

ACLU "Te ey

Take This to the Polls!

Proposition 227 - VOTE NO

Don't END BILINGUAL EDUCATION

The ACLU-NC opposes this measure which proposes to eliminate bilingual

education and replace it with a single year of English immersion in a class-

room with children of all ages. The ACLU believes that 227 would have a dis-

proportionate negative impact on racial minorities by denying them the

opportunity to an equal education.

Proposition 226 - VOTE NO

LIMITING UNION POLITICAL SPEECH

The ACLU-NC opposes this initiative which would require union members to

affirmatively agree every year to have any portion of their union dues used

for political activity, severely limiting a union's ability to organize and speak

out on behalf of its rank-and-file members. Currently, union members can

choose not to pay dues spent on political issues with which they disagree.

STUDENT ACTIVISM, STUDENT RIGHTS

SCHOO SHOOCHOHHOHHOHSHOHHSOHSHOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEHHSE

Non-Profit

Organization

US Postage

PAID

Permit No. 4424

San Francisco, CA

government programs on minorities and

women. Our ability as researchers to

assess the efficacy of government pro-

grams and policies depends on the quali-

ty of the data that we can work with.

"Until a generation ago, the govern-

ment erected barriers that prevented

minorities and women from achieving

equal opportunity and we must remain

vigilant against the possibility of that

happening again. In addition, even gov-

ernment programs that appear to be

race- or gender-neutral can, in reality,

present many obstacles to minorities and

women especially in awarding public con-

tracts.

"The more light shed on these pro-

Continued on page 4

"members are those who have

. covinaes on page 2

Students Sue Morgan Hill

School District for Harassment

n April, 21, five present and former

QO high school students from Live Oak

High School in the Morgan Hill

Unified School District in Santa Clara

County filed a suit in U.S. District Court in

San Jose against the

and "fucking dyke" in hallways and class-

rooms to threats and incidents of sexual

and physical violence. The complaint

alleges that school officials fostered an

atmosphere of bullying and abuse by refus-

| bus driver, who took no action. Although

the student's mother called the police as

well as administrators at the school, no dis-

ciplinary action against the perpetrators

| was ever taken.

In a subsequent inci-

school district. The

suit charges that

school officials

refused to take any

action to protect the

students from ongo-

ing harassment on the

basis of gender and

perceived sexual ori-

"All students have a right to be

treated equally and to attend

school without fear of violence or

hostility..."

dent at Live Oak High

School, the student was

forced to drop out of a

drafting course after the

teacher refused to inter-

vene when another student

repeatedly referred to him

as "homo" in class and

eventually threatened him

entation, violating of

the school's own sexual harassment and

hate violence policies, as well as federal and

state law mandating school safety and equal

protection for all public school students.

The plaintiffs, four female students

and one male student, describe repeated

incidents of severe verbal, physical, and

sexual abuse against students who are per-

ceived to be lesbian or gay at Live Oak High

School, from students yelling "faggot,"

"dyke," "homo," "queer," "fucking faggot,"

ing to investigate incidents of harassment

or to discipline students who engaged in

harassing behavior against students who

were perceived to be lesbian or gay.

In one incident, a 7th grade student at

Murphy Middle School was hospitalized for

injuries to his ribs after a group of male

students shouted "faggot" and other homo-

phobic epithets while repeatedly hitting

and kicking him at a school bus stop. The

beating took place in full view of the school

with physical violence, stat-

ing that "I want to beat you up after class

but I need a baseball bat to hit you because

I don't want to get AIDS."

A female student at Live Oak High

repeatedly found pornographic literature

and obscene notes with graphic and violent-

ly anti-lesbian threats placed in her locker,

including pictures of women who had been

bound and gagged. On one occasion, the stu-

dent discovered a pornographic picture and

Continued on page 4

SHOSHOHOHSHSHSHHSSHSHSHHSHSHSHSHSHSHSHSHHSHHHHSHHHHHSHSHHHSHSHSHHHHSHSHHHSHSHHHHHHHSHHSHHHHSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEHHEE

Judge Upholds San Francisco's

Domestic Partners Equal

Benefits Ordinance

BY MARIA ARCHULETA

reaking new ground in the struggle

B for lesbian and gay rights, on April

10, US. District Court Judge

Claudia Wilken largely upheld San

Francisco's Equal Benefits Partners

Ordinance. Her ruling in-the case, Air

Transport Association of America v. City

and County of San Francisco, was the first

of its kind in the country.

"Judge Wilken's decision represents a

major step forward for the effort to get fair

treatment for lesbian and gay employees,"

said ACLU-NC staff attorney Kelli Evans.

"Other cities interested in passing similar

ordinances have been closely watching

this lawsuit. We are hopeful that many will

adopt laws that follow the guidelines set

out in this decision."

The controversial ordinance which

went into effect July 1, requires compa-

nies that the City does business with to

provide the same benefits to unmarried

domestic partners that they provide to

married couples.

Challenging their obligation to follow |

the ordinance, in May 1997, the American

Transport Association filed suit against

the City of San Francisco on behalf of

major airlines.

Wilken's ruling firmly upheld the

right of the City to pass and enforce the

law. In her opinion she wrote,"...the ordi-

nance effectuates a legitimate local pub-

lic interest to combat discrimination on

the basis of sexual orientation."

However, Wilken also held that the ordi-

nance cannot be applied to out-of-state con-

duct that is unrelated to the purpose of a

city contract. Thus, the City could not force

the federally regulated airlines to abide by

the Domestic Partners Ordinance.

National ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights

Project Director Matt Coles explained,

"Cities across America have been waiting

for this decision so that they could know if it

is legal for them to demand that the people

they do business with will treat lesbian and

gay couples fairly. The clear meaning of

Judge Wilken's decision is that in most cir-

cumstances, they can. It is only when the

city does something that typical consumers

do not do, like run an airport, that they may

not pick and choose who they will do busi-

ness with. When they buy things or contract

for ordinary services, they can."

Evans added, "While it is true that the

ACLU News @ May/June 1998 = Pace 2

City of San Francisco will not be able to

demand that airlines operating out of its

airport treat lesbian and gay employees

like heterosexual employees, Judge

Wilken makes it clear that the airlines are

an exception. In general, when the City

buys goods or services it can refuse to do

business with companies that discrimi-

nate against gay and lesbian employees,

just as ordinary consumers can refuse to

do business with companies with which

they don't approve.

While the airlines may have won this

particular battle, the City - and advocates

for equality - have won the war for fair

treatment." @

WILLIAM WALKER

At the podium, Say What??!! conference participants share views on the Juvenile Crime

Bill. Howard A Friedman Project members (at left) Sabrina Ciaravella and Suemyra

Shah moderate the open microphone session.

Students Celebrating

Freedom of Expression

By Nancy OTTO

- n March 81, 700 high school stu- -

dents from 30 high schools through- _

out northern California converged

on Sacramento to attend the seventh

annual ACLU Say What??!! Students

Celebrate Freedom of Expression

Conference to speak their minds and orga-

nize against several juvenile justice bills -

in the Legislature.

During the free conference, organized

by the ACLU-NC Howard A. Friedman First

Amendment Education Project

and |

planned by ACLU student activists, partic- |

ipants held a rally on the Capitol steps and |

then presented Assemblymember Bob -

Hertzberg huge postcards signed by all the |

students protesting the Gang Violence and -

Juvenile Crime Control Act of 1998. This (c)

Act would try more juveniles as adults, -

remove the confidentiality surrounding (c)

juvenile records, provide stricter sen- -

tences for gang-related crimes, and -

increase the number of specific crimes

that would count as "strikes" under the

"three strikes you're out" sentencing law.

The day-long event also featured live

music, street theater, photo exhibits, and

the opportunity to lobby elected officials.

Conference workshops covered topics such

as bilingual education, same sex public

schools, the rights of teen parents, special

education, sex education, juvenile justice,

homelessness, religious clubs on campus,

and empowering gay, lesbian, bisexual and

transgendered youth. One of the most mov-

ing workshops was on the death penalty

and featured two family members of mur-

der victims who spoke about their differing

views on whether the death penalty helps

them to heal.

The ACLU student activists decided to

move the Say What??!! conference to

Sacramento this year to take advantage of

the lobbying and activist opportunities at

the Capitol. and

Legislative Counsel

Finds Oakland Vehicle

Seizure Illegal

BY MARIA ARCHULETA

recent advisory opinion issued by

At Legislative Counsel of

California concluded that the City

of Oakland's vehicle seizure and forfeiture

ordinance "is void as contradictory to state

law."

ACLU-NC Police Practices Director John

Crew notified the Mayor of Oakland and the

Oakland City Counsel of the critical state

opinion in a letter sent Monday, March 30.

According to the Oakland Tribune, on

April 8 the Oakland City Attorney's Office

stated that the City will continue enforcing

the law.

The ACLU-NC has repeatedly expressed

civil rights concerns about the ordinance

which the Oakland Police Department has

utilized to seize and sell automobiles allegedly

used to solicit acts of prostitution or acquire

illegal drugs - even in instances with no crimi-

nal conviction. The ACLU is asking the City

council to repeal the ordinance.

The Legislative Counsel found that

Oakland's local practices are in conflict

with state law which prohibits the seizure

of vehicles for prostitution and drug offens-

es except in the case of a conviction and

proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

"The City of Oakland is not free to sim-

ply ignore the important procedural pro-

tections in this area provided to the people

of California by laws enacted by the State -

Legislature," wrote Crew. "Whether or not

you personally agree that people should be

convicted of an offense before their proper-

ty is taken and sold by the government is

not the issue. What matters, according to

the Legislative Counsel, is that the ordi-

nance you enacted "... is in conflict with and

preempted by state law."

In addition, the Legislative Counsel

found that "Operation Beat Feet" violates

state law because it allows the seizure of

vehicles involved in the sale of any con-

trolled substance. The state forfeiture law

is much narrower in that it only applies to

certain types and quantities of controlled

substances.

The Legislative Counsel' opinion con-

cluded: "Thus, the [Oakland] ordinance

contradicts the state forfeiture laws in two

important aspects: the burden of proof and

the operative controlled substance offense

that apply. This being the case, we con-

clude that the ordinance is void as contra-

dictory to state law."

Crew will continue to investigate the

use and misue of the seizure and forfeiture

ordinance. @

ACLU News = May/June 1998 Pe ee

Advocates Challenge

Contra Costa's

Exclusion of Southeast

Asians from Benefits

n April 24, a coalition of civil rights

() ives filed a complaint chal-

lenging recent policy changes by

the Contra Costa County Department of

Social Services (CCCDSS) that have

resulted in effectively cutting off public

benefits and services to limited English

proficient and monolingual Southeast

Asians in the county.

The Administrative Civil Rights

Complaint filed with the Department of

Justice Civil Rights Division, Health and

Human Services, and the Department of

Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service,

asks the federal offices to require CCCDSS

to take immediate steps to eliminate the

discriminatory language barriers to-

accessing public benefits and services for

Southeast Asian immigrants in Contra

Costa County.

CCCDSS made changes to its "Refugee

Unit" without first conducting the civil

rights impact analysis mandated by federal

Continued on page 4

ee

Legacy of Activism

BY STAN YOGI

CLU supporter Ron Wilmot once

Asi "Charity, especially giving back

to the community, gives me a sense

of purpose and a feeling that is invaluable

to my survival." Ron's dedication to the San

Francisco Bay Area community was mani-

fest not only during

his life but also

through his estate.

The ACLU

Foundation of

Northern Californ-

ia is honored to be

a beneficiary of

Ron's trust. Ron,

who died last year

at 46, was a tireless

advocate and fund-

raiser for lesbian

and gay and AIDS

organizations, and

his bequest to the

ACLU Foundation

will benefit our ongoing efforts to protect

the rights of lesbians and gay men in north-

ern California and nationally.

Born in Albany, New York, Ron graduat-

ed from Ohio's Miami University in 1972.

After college, he accepted a commission in

the Navy and during the Vietnam War served

as the chief communications officer aboard

the USS Enterprise. Ending his tour of duty

Ron Wilmot

_ on Treasure Island after three years of ser-

vice, Ron received an honorable discharge.

Ron acquired HartfordProperties in

1978 with his late business partner Rick

Cohen, and the two built the business into

one of the most successful real estate firms

in San Francisco. Community service was

an integral part of the Hartford business

philosophy, which included donations and

services to thank the community that sup-

ported them.

Ron's community service extended

beyond his business. For 20 years, he spent

his Wednesday mornings reading to the

blind at the Rose Resnick Lighthouse for

the Blind in San Francisco, and he was

integral, as a donor and a real estate bro-

ker, in securing a new building for his syna-

gogue, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav.

Ron was HIV-positive for 18 years and

devoted much of his energy raising money

for AIDS organizations and educating him-

self and others about AIDS and AIDS treat-

ments. He served on the advisory board of

the Jewish Family and Children's Services

AIDS Project and was the first speaker in

their "Putting a Face to AIDS" speakers

bureau.

An avid cyclist who credited bicycling

with keeping him asymptomatic for most of

the years he was HIV-positive, Ron created

a bike-a-thon to benefit Project Inform, an

organization that provided him and others

with accurate and

up-to-date informa-.

tion on AIDS treat-

ments. This lasting

legacy that bears his

name is held each

May.

The afternoon be-

fore his first bike-a-

thon in 1995, Ron was

taken to the emer-

gency room after suf-

fering a severe re-

action to an experi-

mental drug. Al-

though he was

hospitalized over-

night, he nonetheless insisted on being at

the bike-a-thon when it began at 10 a.m.

Television crews had gathered awaiting the

fundraiser's creator. Ron's friends got him

out of the hospital 20 minutes before the

event was to begin, and he appeared at the

starting line,-dressed in a biking outfit,

perched on his bicycle to talk with

reporters.

Ron's generous bequest to the ACLU is

an ongoing legacy of his vision and commit-

ment to securing equality and freedom for

lesbians and gay men. In naming the ACLU

a beneficiary of his trust, Ron recognized the

important work of the ACLU in fighting for

the rights of gay people with the same deter-

mination that he brought to his own life.

Ron's' partner, Jim O'Donnell,

explained that Ron believed "Each life is

meant to have a purpose, and it's our

responsibility to determine what our pur-

CourTesy oF JIM O'DONNELL

pose is. For Ron, that meant giving back to

the community he was part of and making

it a better place."

The ACLU Foundation of Northern

California is deeply grateful to Ron Wilmot

for his commitment and dedication to our

community and for helping to make it a bet-

ter place by ensuring equal rights and equal

protection for gay men and lesbians.

If you would like to make a bequest to

the ACLU, please contact Stan Yogi,

Director of Planned Giving, at 415/621-

2498 ext. 80.

Academics...

Continued from page |

grams the better," said Dr. Barlow, who also

teaches at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant

Hill.

Plaintiff Fred Jordan, President of FE.

Jordan Associates, an engineering firm with

along history of public contracts, said,

"The Governor has a responsibility to

prevent discrimination in this state. But his

order removes an invaluable tool that could

reveal that discrimination."

ACLU-NC staff attorney Ed Chen said, "As

more and more of the data-gathering struc-

ture is dismantled, more and more of this vital

information is irretrievably lost. That is why

we are asking the court to intervene."

Governor Wilson justified his executive

order by the recent Ninth Circuit decision

in Monterey Mechanical v. Wilson. In that

case, the Court struck down a requirement

in Public Contract Code 10115.5 that con-

tractors make good faith efforts to reach

Affirmative Action...

Continued from page |

and recruitment necessary to combat dis-

crimination.

In addition, soon after Wilson issued the

March order, a consortium of civil rights

organizations - including the ACLU affiliates

of Northern and Southern California, Equal

Rights Advocates, Lawyers' Committee for

Civil Rights, and others - created and widely

distributed the booklet, Reaching for the

Dream: Profiles in Affirmative Action,

which examines the programs under attack

and introduces individuals who benefited

from those programs. Every member of the

Chapter Meetings

(Chapter meetings are open to all interested members.

Contact the Chapter activist listed for your area.)

B-A-R-K (Berkeley-Albany-Richmond-Ken-

sington) Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth

Thursday) For more information, time and address of

meetings, contact Jim Chanin at 510/848-4752 or

Rachel Richman at 510/540-5507.

Fresno Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth Tuesday).

Please join our newly-teorganized Chapter! Meetings are

held at 7:00 PM at the Fresno Center for Non-Violence. For

more information, call Bob Hirth 209/225-6223 (days).

Lesbian and Gay Rights Chapter Meeting:

(Usually first Thursday) For schedule of meetings or more

information, contact Steve Zollman at 510/845-7108.

Marin County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third

Monday) Meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Corte Madera Town

Center, Community Meeting Room. For more information,

contact Kerry Peirson at 415/383-3989.

Mid-Peninsula Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth

Thursday) Meet at 7:30 PM, at 460 South California

Avenue, Suite 11, Palo Alto. . For more information, con-

tact Ken Russell at 650/325-8750.

enter, Monterey

ation, please contact Lisa Maldonado

2493, extension 46. -

Sunday, De

Bill of Rights Day cent

honoring Representa

with the Earl Warren Ci

Sheraton Pala

participation goals for women- and minori-

ty-owned firms. ;

"The case did not declare the state's

data-gathering law unconstitutional," said

Beth Parker of Equal Rights Advocates. "In

fact, it did not refer to the data collection

process at all. This suit is aimed at prevent-

ing the state from stopping the data collec-

tion that is required by law. This data is

needed to ensure that state contracts are

awarded fairly and equitably."

Although Judge Henry Needham denied

the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary

injunction on Mayl, the case continues in

Alameda County Superior Court.

The plaintiffs are represented by Oren

Sellstrom of the Lawyers' Committee for

Civil Rights; Ed Chen of the ACLU of

Northern California; Beth Parker of Equal

Rights Advocates; Julian Gross and William

McNeill of the Employment Law Center;

Mark Rosenbaum and Dan Tokaji of the

ACLU of Southern California; and Professor

Karl Manheim of Loyola Law School.

State Legislature received a copy of the pub-

lication.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee cit-

ed Reaching for Dream in its analysis of

Richter's bill and concluded that the named

programs "in no way impose quotas or

exclude anyone based on race, ethnicity or

gender," and that Richter "has not submitted

any evidence these programs violate

Proposition 209 in any way." i

To order Reaching for the Dream:

Profiles in Affirmative Action please call or

write Publications Department, ACLU-NC,

1663 Mission Street, Suite 460, San

Francisco, CA 94103. Single copies are

available at $3.; Bulk orders are $25 for

each order of ten.

Monterey County Chapter Meeting: (Usually

third Tuesday) Meet at 7:15 PM, Monterey Library. We

are co-sponsoring numerous events with the Coalition of

Minoritiy Organizations (COMO) to defeat Propositions

226 and 227. For more information, contact Richard

riley at 408/624-7562.

North Peninsula (San Mateo area) Chapter

Meeting: (Usually third Monday) Meet at 7:30 PM, at

700 Laurel Street, Park Tower Apartments, top floor.

Check-out our web page at: http: //members.aol.com/

mpenaclu. For more information, contact Marc Fagel at

650/579-1789.

Redwood (Humboldt County) Chapter

Meeting: (Usually third Thursday) Meet at Chan's at

359 G Street in Arcata at 7:00 PM. For information on

upcoming meeting dates and times, contact Christina

Huskey at 707/444-6595.

Sacramento Valley Chapter Meeting: (Usually

first Wednesday) Meet at 7:00 PM at the Java City in

Sutter Galleria (between 29 and 30, J and K Streets) in -

Sacramento. For more information, contact Ruth Ordas

at 916/488-9955.

San Francisco Chapter Meeting: (Third Tuesday)

ACLU NEws a May/June 1998 = Pace 4

Morgan Hill...

Continued from page 2

a handwritten note taped on the front of her

locker. The note read "Die, Die...Dyke bitch,

Fuck off. We'll kill you." When the student

sought help from the school, school officials

refused take any action to protect her and

even denied her request to change lockers,

despite the school's practice of allowing oth-

er students to change lockers merely to be

closer to friends. -

Other incidents described in the com-

plaint include:

- a Live Oak High School math teacher

refused to discipline a male student for

making sexually explicit and harassing

comments to a female student in math

class, including "you fucking dumb dyke"

and "you know you like it up the butt."

- Live Oak High School staff refused to

intervene when students harassed a male

student by repeatedly yelling "faggot" dur-

ing school dance recitals in which the stu-

dent was a participant.

- no disciplinary action was taken after a

group of male students sexually harassed

and physically assaulted a female student

and her girlfriend in the teacher's parking

lot at Live Oak High School.

The suit charges that Morgan Unified

School District personnel repeatedly

Ce ee tO

Contra Costa...

Continued from page 3

laws and regulations. Prior to the changes,

the Refugee Unit served Southeast Asian

clients through a concentration of multilin-

gual interpreters and workers who handled

cases from beginning to end, and covered all

the different benefits programs. The county

originally established the unit after civil

rights investigators found that the agency

failed to provide sufficient bilingual language

services to the vast number of Indo-Chinese

immigrants in need of public assistance.

Beginning in October of 1997, CCCDSS

effectively dismantled the Refugee Unit by

reassigning and relocating bilingual work-

ers and interpreters and transferring many

of the cases of monolingual and limited

English proficient Southeast Asians out of

the Refugee Unit. These changes have left

many Southeast Asian applicants and

recipients with workers who do not speak

their native language.

Jodie Berger, an attorney at the

Employment Law Center of the Legal Aid

Society of San Francisco, said, "Cutting off -

people's benefits just because they cannot

Meet at 6:45 PM-at the ACLU-NC Office, 1663 Mission

Street, Suite #460, San Francisco. Join us for our Annual

Meeting with Mike Farrell, President of Death Penalty

Focus, on Thursday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the First

Unitarian Church (1187 Franklin Street, at Geary).

Reception begins at 6:30 p.m. for those who wish to con

tribute $25 or more. The program follows at 7:30 p.m.;

donations are encouraged for the program itself, but no

one will be turned away for lack of funds. Call the Chapter

Hotline at (979-6699) for further details.

Santa Clara Valley Chapter Meeting: (Usually

first Tuesday) Meet at 7:00 PM at the Community Bank

Towers, Ist Floor Conference Room, 111 West St. John

Street, San Jose. Join us for our Annual Meeting on

Tuesday, June2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Friends Meeting

House, 1041 Morse Street, San Jose. For further infor-

mation contact Jon Cox at 408/293-2584 or Elizabeth

Zimmerman at 408/246-2129.

Santa Cruz County Chapter Meeting: (Usually

third Monday) Meet at 7:15 PM. For more informa-

tion, contact Dianne Vaillancourt at 408/454-0112.

Sonoma County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third

Tuesday) Meet at 7:30 PM at the Peace and Justice Center,

540 Pacific Avenue, Santa Rosa. Call Judith Volkart at

ignored or minimized the seriousness of

reports of harassment and abuse by stu-

dents and parents solely because the stu-

dents were perceived to be lesbian or gay.

"Tam shocked that a school would allow

this kind of behavior, and I am afraid for

the students who are still there," stated

Diane Ritchie, a San Jose attorney who is

representing the students along with the

ACLU-NC and the National Center for

Lesbian Rights.

"All students have a right to be treated

equally and to attend school without fear of

violence or hostility," stated Kelli Evans,

ACLU-NC staff attorney. "When school offi-

cials disregard the law by refusing to protect

students who are perceived to be lesbian or

gay, it sends a message that violence against

lesbian and gay students is acceptable."

Kate Kendell, executive director of the

National Center for Lesbian Rights said,

"These students and parents repeatedly

turned to the school for protection, and the

school simply stood by while the violence

and the threats of violence escalated."

The plaintiffs, who are seeking declara-

tory and injunctive relief, as well as mone-

tary damages, are represented by Diane

Ritchie of San Jose; Kelli Evans of the

American Civil Liberties Union of Northern

California; and Shannon Minter of the

National Center for Lesbian Rights.

communicate with their worker is wrong -

and puts huge portions of the Southeast

Asian refugee population at risk of hunger

and homelessness."

The claimant, whose primary language

is Laotian, is one of a large number of peo-

ple harmed by the policy changes. She was ~

denied food stamps because she could not

communicate the correct and necessary

information to her intake worker who

spoke only English. The claimant was

misidentified as an "English-speaking"

client because she could answer basic

questions such as her name and address.

After an initial translated interview, the

county gave the client forms to fill out in

English, and failed to respond to her

repeated requests for an interpreter or

bilingual worker.

The claimant is represented by Contra

Costa Legal Services Foundation, the

Center on Poverty Law and Economic

Opportunity, the Employment Law Center

of the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco,

the American Civil Liberties Union of

Northern California, Lawyers Committee

for Civil Rights for the San Francisco Bay

Area and the Asian Law Caucus.

707/526-2893 for more information.

Yolo County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third

Tuesday) Meet at 7:30 PM, 2505 5th Street 154, Davis.

The chapter is active in efforts to defeat Proposition 226

and 227, and is gathering signatures for the Student

Education Opportunity Initiative. For more information,

call Natalie Wormeli at 916/756-1900 or tDick

Livingston at 916/753-7255.

Chapters Reorganizing

If you are interested in reviving the Mt. Diablo or

North Valley Chapter, please contact Field

Representative Lisa Maldonado at 415/621-2493.

Field Action

Meetings

(All meetings except those noted will be held at the ACLU-

NC Office, 1663 Mission Street, 460, San Francisco.)

Student Outreach Committee: Meet to plan out:

reach activities. For more information, contact Nancy Otto

at 415/621-2006 ext. 37.

Student Advisory Committee: For more informa-

tion, contact Nancy Otto at 415/621-2006 ext. 37.