Posted on 02/17/2005 2:42:11 AM PST by ViLaLuz
A federal court ruled the city of Oakland had a right to bar two employees from posting a flier promoting traditional family values on an office bulletin board. Employees Regina Rederford and Robin Christy posted the flier in response to an e-mail to city employees announcing formation of a gay and lesbian employee association. The two responded with a promotion of their own -- the start of an informal group that respects "the natural family, marriage and family values." But supervisors Robert Bobb, then city manager, and Joyce Hicks, then deputy director of the Community and Economic Development Agency, ordered removal of the flier, stating it contained "statements of a homophobic nature" and promoted "sexual-orientation-based harassment," even though it made no mention of homosexuality. A July 2003 lawsuit by Rederford and Christy claimed the city's anti-discrimination policy "promotes homosexuality" and "openly denounces Christian values." U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker dismissed the case Tuesday, ruling the two women did not have their First Amendment rights violated. Richard Ackerman, whose public-interest law firm Lively and Ackerman represents the two women, said he will fight the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. "The notion that an employee cannot mention the natural family in the workplace is absurd," he told WorldNetDaily. "Cities should not be run by neo-fascist homosexual advocates. This ruling allows just that." City Attorney John Russo said in a statement the city "will fight vigorously to defend the policies and practices which protect employees from any form of discrimination." Ackerman said the case is significant, because a decision against the employees could silence debate about homosexuality and related issues in the state of California. The flier in question was posted Jan. 3, 2003, on an employee bulletin board where a variety of political and sexually oriented causes are promoted. Titled, "Preserve Our Workplace With Integrity," the entire text said: Good News Employee Associations is a forum for people of Faith to express their views on the contemporary issues of the day. With respect for the Natural Family, Marriage and Family values. If you would like to be a part of preserving integrity in the Workplace call Regina Rederford @xxx-xxxx or Robin Christy @xxx-xxxx The flyer was removed the same day, however, by order of Hicks. In a Feb. 20 memo announcing a newly revised workplace anti-discrimination policy, Hicks noted recent incidents of employees "inappropriately posting materials" in violation of that policy. "Specifically," she wrote according to a copy obtained by WND, "flyers were placed in public view which contained statements of a homophobic nature and were determined to promote sexual orientation-based harassment." The complaint charges Hicks and Bobb violated their clients' constitutional right to "pray, associate, communicate religious ideas, and worship" according to the U.S. Constitution and the laws and regulations of the city of Oakland. Ackerman said he will file an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals within 10 days, but expects the case to be settled by the Supreme Court. "This case sets a horrible precedent that suggests that the only thoughts and words allowed in a public workplace are those that support the homosexual agenda," he said. "The city of Oakland has interpreted this ruling to mean that Christianity has no place in our society and should be subject to punishment." Previous stories: Is opposing same-sex marriage 'hate speech'? City ties 'family values' to 'homophobia'
Unbelievable!!!
Pro-family comments that don't even mention homosexuality are now Hate Speech.
Yes, They are looking for anyway to make their "sick little fun" be thrown in every els's face... They already have enough rights, now they want to strip ours. These people just won't stop until they can force us to accept their nastyness.
Personally, I don't think anyone should posting political messages on the company bulletin board. I would never let anyone do that - of course, our company bulletin board is in China but that is besides the point.
Hatred of Christians by the ruling elite is now just 3 degrees of separation from the old Roman standard of feeding them to the lions.
I believe Philadelphia is getting ready to feed them to the lions.
So, by banning the flier against "normal family values", the city is admitting that the homosexual lifestyle is not "normal" like the gay agenda so badly wants people to believe.
ping
Looks like a case for the ACLU....
/crickets chirping
Good grief. We live in Wonderland.
Employees Regina Rederford and Robin Christy posted the flier in response to an e-mail to city employees announcing formation of a gay and lesbian employee association.
An email from whom? Other city employees? If so, how come they get to do that but Rederford and Christy are prohibited from posting their flier? Sounds like there might (also) be an equal protection problem here.
Figures Kali-Freak-A-Zonia. Now where did I put that catalog with the "HUGE 200' depth digging Ditch-Witch on sale."
It is the judges. The judges don't apply the law anymore, they are the law and now force the public to accept what their personal opinion holds as politically correct outcomes.
I recommend a great read, "The Tempting of America," by Robert Bork.
If all you need to be a judge is an opinion and the arrogance to force it on others, then any child could be a judge. You don't even need to know the law. What would be the point of knowing it if you are going to ignore it anyway?
Phladelphia, and Oakland/ Massachussetts ,and California,
What was begun as a Christian nation now sees it's mere politicians and it's educators attempting to lead this nation away from God. The Minority leader Nancy Pelosi
of California defends Michael Newdow and the removal of
"One Nation under God from our Pledge. What began in the
relm of the American Communists and their ACLU has corrupted our Courts, and our Schools, and our Government
to a point where these no longer reflect what was established.A House Divided shall Not stand.
I recommend a great read, "The Tempting of America," by Robert Bork.
I recommend a much, much better one: The Presumption of Liberty, by Randy Barnett.
While we're carrying on about those silly, silly judges, let's bear in mind that these two women are public employees, and all that's happened is that they've been denied access to a tax-supported bulletin board that a private employer wouldn't be required to provide in the first place.
I disagree with the judge's ruling in this case and I expect it will be overturned on appeal. But it doesn't shove anything down your throat; it merely limits what government employees are allowed to do while at work on the public dime.
If they don't like it, they can always get jobs in the private sector and see how many fliers they're allowed to post.
Now that aids is a badge of honor, Queerdom is doomed anyway, so who cares?
Oh boy!
These two "Christians" set out to deliberately retaliate against the homosexual's announcement of a group.
Clean up the courts President Bush.
"the natural family, marriage and family values."
As a RESPONSE to a homosexual group announcement is clearly an attack and these "Christians" themselves seek to define the homosexuals as clearly excluded from their informal group because they're neither "natural family" nor able to participate in "marriage" and do not have a place in the code words "family values."
This is *NOT* persecution of these "Christians" because they were on the attack. They were responding to the gays. The wording is carefully chosen to be a stick in the eye. It smells of malice.
Gays aren't exactly "welcome" as a general rule and thus these "Christians" were, in effect, creating a hostile work environment deliberately. They, and folks around here, can feign innocence and ignorance but in their hearts know what these "do gooders" were really doing. And they should be ashamed of themselves for trying to shield their petty bigotry behind religious faith.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.