PGN seeks certified Morris records
Last week, PGN asked the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for certified copies of dispatch records pertaining to the Nizah Morris case.
Morris was a transgender woman who was found with a fatal head wound in 2002, shortly after a courtesy ride from Officer Elizabeth Skala. Her homicide remains unsolved.
For reasons not clear in the record, Skala initiated an unrelated vehicle stop while still assigned to handle Morris, who was intoxicated.
In October, the D.A.’s Office gave PGN a dispatch record that appears to be related to Skala’s vehicle stop. But the D.A.’s Office hasn’t clarified whether the record is complete, nor whether it’s authentic.
PGN hopes those issues will be clarified when it receives certified records from the agency.
Complete dispatch records for Skala’s vehicle stop could explain why she didn’t respond to Morris after her head injury, when she urgently needed transportation to a hospital.
By presstime, the D.A.’s Office hadn’t responded to PGN’s request.
Gay litigant will cooperate with court order
Thomas Vandergrift says he’s doing his best to locate his medical records for the past 18 years, pursuant to a recent court order.
On May 14, U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider ordered Vandergrift to turn over his medical records dating back to 1997 to the Pennsauken school district.
Vandergrift, an openly gay teacher, alleges that district officials wrongfully accused him of child molestation after he advocated for a proper education for his autistic nephew.
Vandergrift’s lawsuit is in the discovery phase, and district officials requested his medical records for the past 18 years.
Vandergrift, 38, said he’s working to comply with the judge’s order.
“Do you remember all the doctors you saw [almost] 20 years ago?” he posed. “I’m not hiding anything. But I honestly can’t remember everything.”
Nonetheless, he said he’s working diligently to locate the requested records and facilitate their release.
Vandergrift seeks policy changes within the district, and an unspecified amount in damages. So far, he said, he’s incurred more than $100,000 in legal expenses.
“There absolutely needs to be policy changes so this can’t happen to another family,” Vandergrift said. “No way in heck should this ever happen to another family in that school district.”
District officials couldn’t be reached for this update.
JSPAN supports two trans-rights bills
The Jewish Social Policy Action Network, a progressive agency in the Jewish community, has endorsed two transgender-rights bills pending in the state legislature.
HB 303 would ensure the rights of transgender students to participate fully in educational programs, sports and other activities. HB 304 would ensure that health-insurance carriers cover treatments for gender-identity disorder and gender dysphoria, including medically necessary office visits, lab tests, prescription drugs, hormone therapy and transitional surgeries.
The bills were introduced by state Rep. Mark Cohen (D-Phila.), and have been referred to committees for further study.
“Both bills were unanimously supported [by the JSPAN board], after a full discussion,” said Lynn G. Zeitlin, chair of JSPAN’’s Policy Center on LGBTQ Civil Rights.
About 20 board members attended JSPAN’s May 18 meeting, when the vote was taken.
— Timothy Cwiek