AIDS antibias case to remain in Philadelphia
An AIDS-discrimination lawsuit filed against the Milton Hershey School will be heard in Philadelphia, a federal judge has ruled.
A 14-year-old Delaware County boy wants to attend the school, but was denied admission due to his HIV-positive serostatus.
Last November, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit on behalf of the boy in federal court in Philadelphia.
Attorneys for the school asked U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones 2d to transfer the case to federal court in Harrisburg, noting that it would be more convenient for the school’s employees and witnesses to attend a trial there.
But in an 11-page ruling issued June 1, Jones denied the school’s request.
“Defendant has failed to carry its burden of proving that the interests of justice would be better served by a transfer to the Middle District,” the judge wrote.
Ronda B. Goldfein, executive director of the law project, was pleased with the ruling.
“We’re grateful that this judge has spared this low-income family the undue hardship of traveling to Harrisburg — when the Hershey School has $8 billion in assets, and seemingly a greater ability to make travel arrangements,” Goldfein told PGN. “Our client was harmed. The law supports him filing in the appropriate venue. And the suggestion that the rules that favor the plaintiff should be set aside in favor of a defendant with $8 billion in assets shows a certain insensitivity to our client.”
Connie McNamara, a spokesperson for the school, had no comment for this story.
The school has about 20,000 disadvantaged students who live on campus. They range in age from pre-kindergartners to 12th-graders.
According to court papers, the school claims the boy’s attendance would pose a “direct threat to students who cannot be supervised by an adult 24 hours a day.”
A new judge would have been assigned to the case if it were transferred to Harrisburg, according to court papers.
PAC members meet with Gillison
Members of the Police Advisory Commission’s executive committee met June 4 with Everett A. Gillison, the city’s deputy mayor of public safety, to discuss personnel matters related to the PAC.
Ronda B. Goldfein, the PAC’s chair, declined to comment about specific matters discussed at the meeting.
“We have concerns about how the PAC is functioning,” Goldfein told PGN. ”In response to those concerns, we had a meeting with Mr. Gillison. He thoughtfully listened to our concerns. He did his own research. It’s clear that he’d given this some thought and consideration before we met. And he gave it thought and consideration during the meeting. He promised to get back to us within the next week about the next steps.”
Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for Gillison, said he had no comment for this story.
In the past, PAC members have expressed concern with the job performance of PAC executive director William M. Johnson.
A recent PAC meeting got particularly stormy when Johnson publicly disagreed with the commissioners’ decision to close about 100 police-misconduct cases.
Johnson, 54, supervises four PAC staffers and oversees an annual budget of about $300,000.
He’s served as executive director of the PAC since June 2004 and has an annual salary of $74,984.
Johnson had no comment about the meeting.
The PAC was formed 14 years ago, in response to concerns from LGBTs and others that city officials weren’t properly addressing allegations of police misconduct.
Though it has no enforcement powers, the PAC investigates individual complaints of police misconduct and makes recommendations for corrective action when appropriate.
The PAC is currently investigating the case of Nizah Morris, a transgender woman found with a fatal head wound in 2002, after she received a ride from Philadelphia police.
In the past, some commissioners have criticized Johnson for accepting redacted and/or incomplete Morris evidence from police, rather than pursuing the complete pieces of evidence.
A new set of commissioners reopened the Morris case two years ago, and they hope to issue a revised report within the next few months.
— Tim Cwiek
T-shirts to fundraise for EQPA
LGBTs and allies can contribute to their wardrobe this Pride month while also contributing to Pennsylvania’s statewide LGBT-rights agency.
Socially Conscious Shirts will donate $5 from the sale of each of its $15 “Love is Love” T-shirts to Equality Pennsylvania’s outreach and educational activities.
The shirts come in a variety of colors and proclaim the “Love is Love” message with a logo that highlights both male and female same-sex partnerships.
The company, co-owned by Joel Bridger and Maria Allison, was founded in the fall. Its first T-shirt fundraising effort brought in more than $1,000 for Occupy Philadelphia.
Company representatives will team up with EQPA to sell the shirts at Prides throughout the region this month and will also be canvassing the Gayborhood in the coming weeks. The shirts are also available for purchase at www.SociallyConsciousShirts.com.
“I am so excited to be able to partner with this excellent local company,” said EQPA president Adrian Shanker. “And I am even prouder that this partnership helps to expand the marriage-equality message throughout the state.”
EQPA executive director Ted Martin added that the shirts “sum up our message and the thoughts of LGBT people and allies everywhere. Not only are they really great-looking, they will be seen by many people who will continue to spread the message that our families deserve nothing less than equality.”
Bullying booklet offers rewards
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays has teamed up with two national corporations for a fundraising and awareness-building campaign against bullying.
PFLAG is launching its Care with Pride antibullying initiative in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies and Walgreens. The team has assembled a Safe Schools Action Pack, a booklet with resources for promoting safety for all students that also contains $65 in coupons for 20 J&J brands. For each coupon redeemed at Walgreens, $1 will be donated to PFLAG’s safe-schools work.
“We are pleased to work together with local Johnson & Johnson and Walgreens personnel in the Care with Pride effort,” said Myra Taksa, president of PFLAG Philadelphia. “Educating the public and protecting our children from bullying is critical.”
To download the Safe Schools Action Pack, visit www.walgreens.com/pride or text PRIDE to 467467.
PFLAG Philadelphia will march with J&J and Walgreens representatives in this weekend’s Pride parade and will distribute the Action Packs at the event.
— Jen Colletta