**** Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1993 06:49:39 -0600 (PDT) **** From: Don Wilhelm Reprinted without permission from the Oregonian, July 8, 1993: MAN SUES OCA FOR INVASION OF PRIVACY by Sura Rubenstein A gay man whose three children ended up on an Oregon Citizens Alliance campaign poster has sued the OCA and it's leaders for $5.5 million each. Scott Gilbert filed the suit Wednesday in Clackamas County Circuit Court, claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. Defendants are the OCA, its No Special Rights political action committee, OCA Chairman Lon Mabon, OCA treasurer Bonnie J. Mabon, OCA communications director Scott Lively and 20 other unidentified people who participated in what Gilbert claims was a conspiracy to harass his family. Gilbert is seeking $500,000 for non-economic damages and punitive damages of $5 million from each defendant. "The OCA has no special right to go after a man's job and it has no special right to use other people's children for politics," said Jacob Tanzer of Ball, Janik & Novack, Gilbert's attorney. Lon Mabon said he could not comment on the lawsuit. He said he had not retained a lawyer for that yet. Gilbert, who lives in Clackamas, and his wife Rochelle divorced on Nov. 20, 1992, and were awarded joint custody of their children -- then ages 5, 6 and 8. On March 8, Lively and other defendants organized a demonstration at Clackamas County Courthouse at which they distributed a flier written by Rochelle "Shelly" Gilbert which included a picture of the children. She asked people to call Judge Raymond R. Bagley Jr., who signed the custody agreement, asking him for a new hearing. The flier also asked people to call Scott Gilbert at home -- listing his telephone number -- and urge him to give his ex-wife custody. Tanzer said the OCA publicized the demonstration, receiving newspaper and television coverage throughout the Portland metropolitan area that disclosed private information about Scott Gilbert to the public, including the fact that he and his male partner are HIV positive. In May 1993, the OCA distributed copies of a similar flier in Washington County in conjunction with an anti-gay rights initiative election in Cornelius.