Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Dec. 11, 1997, edition 1 / Page 7
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Reverse bias suit settlement debated B| KENDALL WILSON Special to the NNPA from The Philadelphia Tribune Affirmative action advocates sind opponents are offering mixed Reviews over the high-profile case settled by the Piscataway, N.J., school board with Sharon Taxman, a white teacher who Claimed she was laid off in viola tion of her civil rights, i'"' On Thursday, Nov. 20, the school board decided it would not appeal Taxman's case before the U.S. Supreme Court and voted 5-3 to settle the $443,500 suit. The move came after the Black Leadership Forum (BLF) an alliance of civil rights groups that includes the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), agreed to pay 70 percent of the set tlement. The board decided to take this action because they believed the nation's highest court has grown increasingly hostile to race-based policies in recent years, and that the court was expected to yield a major ruling on affirmative action in the process. Taxman was laid off from her teaching position in the business department in 1989, while Debra Williams, a black teacher, was retained. Both were hired the same day and were considered equally qualified by the school board. But while Taxman had more teaching experience, Williams held the supe rior academic credentials with a master's degree. Taxman, SO, said she was "glad" the case was over, and called the settlement "kind of anti climactic." Williams, in tears after the con firmation of the settlement, still insisted she was far more qualified than Taxman and contended that having an advanced degree appar ently means nothing "but a slap in the face." Meanwhile, advocates and opponents of affirmative action read different messages into the settlement. "The great debate on affirma tive action will go on in Congress, the states and the lower courts because affirmative action is legal," said Kathy Rogers, execu tive director of the National Organization of Women's (NOW) Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "It works, it's necessary and it's fair." "This settlement demonstrates the panic within the civil rights ? establishment," said Clint Bolick of the conservative Institute for Justice in Washington. "This could have been a knockout blow for racial preferences." The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who helped raise some of the money in the settlement, described the case as one "riddled with problems." "The black teacher has a mas ter's degree and the white teacher didn't," said Jackson. "So, they are not equals academically. This case would have been distortion of the issue." Taxman's attorney, Steven Klausner, said it was obvious to him that "they (civil rights groups) were afraid that affirmative action might be very damaged." But NAACP President Kweisi Mfume agreed with Jackson about the damage that the "distortion" of the facts could have brought to the fight to maintain affirmative action. "Distorted facts make for dis torted laws," he said. "It was in the best interests of the nation that the future of affirmative action be based on a clearly articulated record and not on a case that the extreme right wing has distorted and defined as something else." * ? A Coke Alfcl "fox (Scald f]y AmericanAirlines' ^ IJpivz for Season! AmericanAfeW Amencary^p cramntwcatbMn COCM?UCUSgC^HOMEFORTHE SEASON SWJgPSTMB? T OFFCML RULES NO PURCHASE NECfSSAf* |, W?I<W SFHtaBrilMMOMOaiCMflnpitaiMW BM*BUi I ??MB <*??B|MBBC?QBCMBBM?teUSMiBBCB?BBB?to?BBaBB?a>fBBBCMO?CM > iOBBWlua CBmuSBMMKUNm**UNo#*MM?# b*MBiinoCg?CBC*N* lammB ' tiiwjw gi ui m ii i ini nibb ii n??mniii m i mill mm imBi?tt ii ? <? teClNCBClB?IBll wt??^l??B| BB>MWI|B ??N||1 II I ?ll >WlH?(iaCBCB|Bl.C?CBMBIIMClll> III II l| ? l.*Ttl?p^ | BBOB?B|Mi?^l?NB>BNBB?|M?#t#ilBfc I I I I lllU?l|l ?I ? ? rntamm^mmi I|BIB1??B?* W#??NBB?B<aBNlN?B?N^?B|?l ?NBBBN? | itmiuawmmammm m i ? i?bb?bn?bb??b " " ''" ??????-- ! HfkwlBMMiMBBplMlBina*! BBBBlMta?MB*BftPaaBai.M.? WUBC?CBCH^TlMtB? "BWBBIBO??B^BBB?B>?,B?BUBaBCBflBW kWfHHIIBlBBiMBH^WMBlK BMBKR ? 1 flopie Far Tfie Season Sv^pStaK?^! ?No purchase neceaenry. EnMee must be reow^d by 1/2/96 I See Ofkaat Rules lor detail ?1997 The Coca-Cola Company | : ] Your fc-V?| Addrrtf I Clty/SUb | H?ro? Mdrew | Clty/SUb J I Mai entry tor? to Homa For The Saaaon Swaepatatoee " I I P.O. Boa 5314 Mak,NEM00?4314 I L 1 Sports superstars fight prejudice in loster series SjtTEW YORK ? If you really Pi believe in America, prejudice pjToul play, states the new Sports raster Series issued by the Anti Pffamation League (ADL). fc"This nine-poster series has jajor importance and resonance ?h sports fans everywhere, espe |lly young people who look to rse talented athletes as role mod (," said Howard P. Berkowitz, DL national chairman, and fcraham H. Foxman, ADL (tional director. "These posters }ture today's superstars of the irld of sports, delivering a hard Sting anti-prejudice message." I The Prejudice is Foul Play j torts posters profile Philadelphia Ker captain Eric Lindros, Detroit Bton forward guard Grant Hill, Bn Francisco 49er quarterback 8fcve Young, Olympic gymnastic Mid medalist Kerri Strug, Miama Mat coach Pat Riley, tennis star Rchael Chang, LPCA champi onship golfer Nancy Lopez, WBC flfdterweight Boxing Champion C^car De La Hoya and Alexi tolas, defender for New England Revolution soccer team. C Action photos, coordinated with the slogan, highlight the grace and power of the athletes. The posters come with a dis cussion guide for greater class room impact. The ADL initiat ed its sports poster series in 1984. The ADL Sports Poster Series can be ordered for $20 plus $3.90 for shipping and hanHlino hv rail ing 1-800-343-5540 or faxing to (201) 652-1973. Order this series, and for a limited time receive a free special bonus: Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley four-color sports posters. The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. |0S expands to 12 new |ounties, thanks to grant K Gov. Jim Hunt's SOS (Support Mr Students) after-school initia te is expanding to 12 new coun ties and boosting its efforts in 10 counties where it is already under \yay, including Forsyth County. "I've seen first-hand the tremendous difference SOS can nfcake in a student's life," said Hunt, who volunteers with SOS along with his wife, Carolyn. "Thousands of children across our sfate are getting the vital one-on Eguidance that can really keep on the right path. Our goal Id be nothing less than to help eiiery child, in every county who nieeds it." I The legislature this summer approved an additional $1 million ia funding to expand SOS The new counties ? Alamance, Anson, Ashe, Dare, Gates, Graham, Greene, Jones, Person, Scotland, Sjtokes, and Yadkin ? will receive gfants of up to S6S;S46 per year, i Ten counties already operating sticcessful SOS programs ? Bladen, Brunswick, Durham, Forsyth, Iredell, Martin, Mitchell, Orange, Rockingham and Wake ? Will receive grants ranging from $J5,000 to $20,000 to expand their programs. i Community organizations in efcch county will use this money to pfovide middle school youth with a place to go after school where they can get help with homework and personal attention. Each organiza tion submitted a proposal to the state describing how they plan to I meet the needs of youth in their community. In Forsyth County, the extra funding will allow SOS to open a new site at downtown Middle School, serving 80 more students each day. Last year Forsyth SOS started a partnership with the police department, allowing off duty police officers to volunteer to mentor and tutor students. Another partnership with the Kernersville YMCA allowed SOS to serve three more middle schools. Hunt created SOS in 1994 dur ing the Special Session on Crime as a means of -preventing juvenile crime and increasing student per formance. SOS currently reaches 9,000 youth in 64 counties. With this expansion, SOS will reach more than 11,300 youth in 76 counties. SOS helps prevent juvenile crime by rallying communities around their young people, helping to steer them away frorti trouble. Students get help with homework, and a chance to participate in pro ductive activities such as drug and alcohol prevention and conflict resolution workshops. In 19%, SOS was honored as one of the most innovative efforts in the country by the Council of State Governments. Last year, an independent evaluation of the pro gram found that SOS counties had fewer training school commit ments and fewer "latchkey" chil dren, and the youth involved in the program had improved'grades. ==^=??? wschron@netunlimited. net t? * \ Papa's Got A Brand New Bag. 9 Those who appreciate quality enjoy it responsibly. ?1996 CROWN ROYAL*IMPORTED IN THE BOTTLE ?BLENDED CANADIAN WHISKEY *40% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME (80 PROOE>*JOSEPH E SEAGRAM A SONS. NEW YORK NY "PAPA S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG"?
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Dec. 11, 1997, edition 1
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