Posted on 08/24/2004 9:10:45 AM PDT by missyme
An employee of the California Department of Social Services filed suit yesterday after state officials removed items from his cubicle they consider "political, religious or social" in nature.
Enoch Lawrence sued when his employer, the Roseville branch of the California Department of Social Services, took down from the walls of his cubicle a bumper sticker that reads "Marriage: One Man One Woman," a small sign that says "Jesus Spoken Here," various Bible verses and two published articles on current political issues.
"Nothing in this employee's workspace warrants this action," said Joshua Carden, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, which is assisting Lawrence with the suit. "The Constitution does not allow the department to silence his free expression rights just because they don't like the viewpoint he is expressing."
The federal civil-rights lawsuit contends the state agency unjustifiably restricted Lawrence's free speech and expression rights.
Lawrence, a disability evaluation analyst who is also a 21-year military veteran, says other employees were allowed to post personal material but he alone was targeted by government officials. He says a supervisor told him if he didn't allow the items to be removed, it would be considered insubordination.
According to a statement from Alliance Defense Fund, the department's policy states in part, "Each employee must exercise his or her own good judgement [sic] to avoid engaging in conduct that may be perceived by others as harassment and/or unprofessional, inappropriate behavior."
Said Carden: "The policy is unconstitutional. The department cannot censor Mr. Lawrence's speech because someone might 'perceive' it to be harassment. Furthermore, the policy provides virtually no guidelines for its enforcement. Officials have singled Mr. Lawrence out for discriminatory treatment by removing items from his cubicle that are clearly not disrupting the workplace.
"Mr. Lawrence's religious and politically conservative viewpoint does not make him a second-class member of the department. We intend to make sure that his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights are protected."
I have a sign on my desk that says: 'Never underestimate the power of idiots in large groups'.
Seems appropriate for this workplace. :-)
Looks like you an I work at the same place...:)
or it's jackbooted thugs.
And this is nothing short of pathetic.
Although federal employees have much more dramatic "on the job" free speech rights than any other category of workers in the country, state employees are not far behind. Why do you insist on stating as facts something that you've never heard of and never read?
You cannot apply private sector standards to this situation.
I did not. Reread the post.
If management wants to "protect" the delicate sensibilities of clients visiting the site, they can set up a public access workstation however they wish.
Your world appears to be that of an IT worker. You should get out more often. Visit a bookstore and get yourself some paperback on management of economics.
clients (not "customers" PULEEEZE)
Once again you scream that you have never even opened a book on economics, management, or English.
Buy a book. It's a good investment.
I guess I pretty much agree with you there, but I'd go further, I'd like to see all the cubicle junk go. A lady in my department has a cubicle that's just brimming over with troll dolls, horse figurines and other crap. It's like walking around in someone's trailer.
I agree. Most business have facility standards about what cubicles should look like. Ours goes to the details of saying stuff like "you may have 1 personal photo on your desk, nothing on the walls", "nothing of a divisive or offensive nature may be posted, especially on the outside of the cubicle walls, etc.", etc. I can't remember the exact wording, haven't read it for awhile.
Ours here are pretty strict but the IT dept (where I work) is usually left alone simply because there's simply not enough storage so all the manuals etc. have to go on your desktop and we all have charts and database diagrams etc all over the walls. And since our area looks like a tornado went through it you generally don't notice the Dilbert cartoons posted in the midst of the sea of tech stuff ;) .
LQ
There might be some exceptions, but they are few!
Now, what was it you were trying to say?
As approved by a large majority of the voters, it is state policy.
Congratulations on your victories. They are entirely unrelated to the discussion, however. Reread my post.
To which you then responded: "Why do you insist on stating as facts something that you've never heard of and never read?
When you challenge my bona fides you get an answer addressing that issue. Such challenges are impolite among long-time FR posters. When it comes to a "newbie" such as yourself, I usually answer your "Why" whine.
When you do it again I enable you to eat your lunch two or three times over.
Capice?
It is pretty moronic to state, as you did, that people in government have more rights. For a person practicing law, as you purport to do, this is preposterous. From your later post I understood better, I think, what you meant --- that people in government may be getting away with more. That well may be. This is even a question of rights: rather, it is the question of how far a person can go in his derlection of duty without being detected or punished. One of the first things you should've learned is the duality of rights and duties, and the difference between them.
Regardless of what you meant, to state that our constitution, statutes, or common law grant people in government more rights is below contempt.
You have showed your capacity to think. Thank you. Now stop playing an attorney and tell your mom to tuck you in. Good night.
Whether things should be that way is a different question.
BTW, 3 years makes you a "newbie". Your recent posts demonstrate that you are also a "whiner".
You are also quick to call names which identifies you as a Liberal.
Certainly there are boards like DU and Bartcop where you can entertain yourselves.
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