The plaintiffs in a lawsuit to stop ethnically and racially discriminatory student discipline practices in Kern County high schools have filed an appeal against the State of California, which was excused as a defendant by the trial court. Attorneys on behalf of Latino and African American students in the Kern High School District maintain that the State of California is responsible for addressing discriminatory practices in state public schools.
Latinos
EJS Joins CRLA, MALDEF, GBLA, in Lawsuit Against Kern High School District
Lawsuit seeks end to school district's discriminatory disciplinary policies and practices that disproportionately impact students of color UPDATE: News coverage of the case: - The Center for Public Integrity (nonprofit news organization) - KQED - KBAK, CBS Affiliate - The Bakersfield California BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2014) — A coalition of civil rights legal advocates, … Continue reading EJS Joins CRLA, MALDEF, GBLA, in Lawsuit Against Kern High School District
Meeting with Bakersfield Community on Disproportionate Suspensions and Expulsions of Black and Latino Students
Eva Paterson, Allison Elgart, and Luke Edwards of the Equal Justice Society participated in a community meeting on June 18 in Bakersfield, California, to discuss the disproportionate suspensions and expulsions of Latino and Black students. Photo via Faith in Action.
EJS Files Letter Brief in Case Related to Voting Rights
On June 12, 2012, EJS filed a letter brief with the California Supreme Court urging the Court to grant the petition for review and issue a prompt decision in All of Us or None, an important case that involves the voting rights of 85,000 Californians. In December 2011, California Secretary of State Deborah Bowen issued … Continue reading EJS Files Letter Brief in Case Related to Voting Rights
Commentary by EJS’ Eva Paterson and Reggie Shuford in New America Media
The following op-ed by EJS President, Eva Paterson, and Director of Law and Policy, Reggie Shuford, appeared yesterday in New America Media. A recent decision handed down by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals raises this important question: Can victims of contemporary forms of discrimination and disparity find justice in our courts? The court … Continue reading Commentary by EJS’ Eva Paterson and Reggie Shuford in New America Media
EJS, Others File Brief on Prelim. Injunction Against Ariz. Anti-Immigrant Statute
The Equal Justice Society, the Asian American Institute and thirty-six other public interest organizations, represented pro bono by the law firm Covington & Burling LLP, have filed an amicus brief in Friendly House v. Whiting, supporting the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against SB 1070, Arizona’s disturbing new immigration statute. The lawsuit, a class … Continue reading EJS, Others File Brief on Prelim. Injunction Against Ariz. Anti-Immigrant Statute
Senate Committee Approves Proposed Law to Reduce Discrimination in Death Penalty Sentencing (Updated)
UPDATE MAY 27, 2010: The Senate Appropriations Committee did not pass out the bill, which effectively kills it for this session. The state Senate Public Safety Committee yesterday approved a bill proposing changes in the criminal justice system to ensure that no one is sentenced to die because of race or ethnicity. Senate Bill 1331, … Continue reading Senate Committee Approves Proposed Law to Reduce Discrimination in Death Penalty Sentencing (Updated)
Latinos Missing from NY Times Recollection of 2009 Passings
Our friend and ally Tom Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF, has brought to our attention the issue addressed in the article that follows. After seeing the new Star Trek movie, he pointed out that there are apparently no Latinos in the future. There were no Latino characters on the starship Enterprise. The following … Continue reading Latinos Missing from NY Times Recollection of 2009 Passings