Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1999 16:47:02 -0800 From: Jean Richter Subject: 11/3/99 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. WI: Banned gay-themed books to return to school library 2. CT: More details on settlement of teacher's libel suit 3. PA: Survey on violence and discrimination ================================================================== Capital Times, October 9, 1999 Box 8060, Madison, WI, 53708 (Fax 608-252-6445 ) (E-MAIL: tctvoice@captimes.madison.com ) ( http://www.madison.com/ ) EAU CLAIRE SCHOOLS DROP BAN ON FOUR GAY-THEMED BOOKS DISTRICT SETTLES ACLU LAWSUIT Four books that had been banned by the school district will continue to appear on the shelves of the Barron High School library as part of the school district's settlement of a federal lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union, officials said Friday. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ================================================================================ From: LEIFYGREEN@aol.com Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 23:35:22 EDT Subject: PRESS CONFERENCE: VERONICA BERRILL SETTLEMENT COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENSE OF CLASSROOM TOLERANCE For further information: Jeanne Rexford (203) 752-2823 or Kevin Berrill (203) 775-2242 MEDIA ADVISORY Veronica Berrill, Plaintiff in Nationally-Watched Libel Suit, To Announce Terms of Defendants' Settlement and Future Initiatives To Protect Sexual Minority Youth in Schools Press Conference Wednesday, October 13, at 11 a.m.-- Danbury, CT, Superior Court Veronica Berrill, her attorney Henry Lyons, and representatives of the Committee for the Defense of Classroom Tolerance, the Coalition for Democracy, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network of Connecticut will hold a press conference on the steps of Danbury Superior Court at 146 White Street in Danbury, Connecticut, on Wednesday, October 13, 1999 to announce settlement terms agreed to by defendants Neal and Kathleen Houde, including details of their libel retraction and preliminary plans for disbursement of funds paid by the Houdes in compensation for their libel. The press conference will celebrate the successful conclusion of a grueling four-year legal battle by the former Brookfield High School teacher against the Houdes, who accused her of "illegal" conduct in her classroom, including the "homosexual recruitment" of her students, and who threatened to "seek criminal action" against her. The Houdes' charges were based on Mrs. Berrill's participation in Brookfield High School’s "Safe Zones" program, which affirmed the equality and humanity of gay students and protected them from threats, harassment and ridicule in Safe Zone classrooms. The tactics of the Houdes and their lawyer, Joseph Secola, in countering the lawsuit included filing with the court a brief and other papers that linked Veronica Berrill - a devout Catholic, a grandmother and the mother of seven children - with sexual promiscuity, child abuse, obscenity, pornography, pedophilia, sex toys and AIDS transmission. At the press conference, attorney Henry Lyons will explain the terms of settlement and the national implications of this case. Veronica Berrill will share her perspectives on the case and announce her future plans to advocate for safe schools for sexual minority youth. Speaking on behalf of the Committee for the Defense of Classroom Tolerance (CDCT), Chairman Jeanne Rexford will speak about CDCT's intentions and plans for its share of the compensation paid by the Houdes, as well as for the remainder of the funds raised by CDCT over the past four years in support of Veronica Berrill's struggle. One year and a day after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming, Leif Mitchell, of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network of Connecticut, will speak about the relationship between classroom prejudice and anti-gay violence. Copies of the Houdes' retraction and other key court documents will be made available. # # # ======================================================================== Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 19:56:28 -0400 From: Rita Addessa Subject: TIMELY: Please publicize/link to web site: re: PA Survey of Discrimination and Violence We request your help in getting the word out -- especially to youth - about our new Pennsylvania-wide Survey of Discrimination and Violence. The Timeline: The survey data collection phase will end by December 1999 with study publication slated for the late spring 2000. Call for Participation: We invite all Pennsylvanians to participate in our Year 2000 statewide Survey of Discrimination and Violence, a project of the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force. This survey, our fourth over the last decade, is intended to reflect our community's rich diversity and is intended to demonstrate the (1) current incidence of discrimination and violence and (2) to assess various patterns over the last decade. TheEnglish or Spanish version of the two page survey is available through print or is posted on our web site: www.op.net/plgtf. If you would like to help publicize and/or distribute the new survey or for further information, please call us at 215-772-2000 or, in Pennsylvania, call toll free, 1-877-PRIDE-2000. Our address is: Room 1005, 1616 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5310. Rita Addessa, project manager. Principal Researcher: Larry Gross, Ph.D. with Steven Aurand, criminologist. [Plgtf is a civil and human rights advocacy organization formed in 1978. It is engaged in research, public policy advocacy, community organizing, and coalition building at the local and state-wide levels] =================================================================================== Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) These messages are archived by state on our information-loaded free web site: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/