Month: August 2023

Categories
Campus Civil Rights Department of Education Due Process Free Speech Gender Agenda Office for Civil Rights Press Release Sexual Harassment Title IX

In the Face of Overwhelming Opposition, DOE Backs Away from Controversial Title IX Plan

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

In the Face of Overwhelming Opposition, DOE Backs Away from Controversial Title IX Plan

WASHINGTON / August 31, 2023 – Responding to growing criticisms from many sectors of society, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) reportedly is delaying the release of its controversial Title IX regulation until 2024 or later. A Higher Ed Dive article confirmed that the DOE “hasn’t even sent its regulatory plans to the Office of Management and Budget, which can take up to 120 days to review them.” (1)

The Title IX regulation would have had far-reaching effects on campus due process, free speech, women’s sports, parental rights, and gender transitioning among underage students.

Opposition to the policy has come from many directions:

Public Opinion Polls: Public opinion polls have consistently shown that most Americans oppose the proposed changes to Title IX, the law that was enacted to curb sex discrimination in schools (2). A recent NPR/Ipsos poll reports that 63% of Americans oppose allowing biological males to compete on women’s and girls’ sports teams (3).

Lawsuits Against the DOE: On June 14, 2023 the Texas Attorney General filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s Title IX guidance as an illegal effort to force schools to adopt transgender ideology (4). The Texas lawsuit was the fifth such lawsuit filed against the Biden Administration for its Title IX-related proposals (5).

Calls for Abolition: Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswany, and Tim Scott have issued calls for the abolition of the DOE (6). Forty-seven state lawmakers have made similar calls (6).

Criticism from Liberals: The liberal Gays Against Groomers has been one of the most vocal critics of the transgender movement. On August 22, Gays Against Groomers posted a tweet saying, “Norway, Finland, Sweden, Holland and the UK have now BANNED gender transition surgeries and drugs for minors. WHEN WILL THE UNITED STATES CATCH UP?!” (7)

Legislation: Numerous bills were introduced and laws enacted to counter the effects of the proposed Title IX regulation:

  • Thus far, 134 bills designed to restrict transgender treatments for underage children have been introduced in states around the country (8).
  • Laws designed to protect women’s sports were enacted in Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming (9).
  • On June 16, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill to codify parental rights as fundamental, making Alabama the 18th state in the nation to formalize this protection (10).

Due Process Victories: Falsely accused male students continue to win due process lawsuits against their former universities (11). On August 22, an Oregon jury awarded the largest jury verdict ever — nearly $4 million — to a man wrongfully accused of a Title IX offense (12).

The proposed Title IX regulation re-defined the meaning of the Constitution, especially the First and Fourteenth Amendments; usurped Congressional responsibility by seeking to change the definition of sex to include “gender identity;” and negated the Supreme Court’s Davis v. Monroe definition of sexual harassment (13).

Currently, 217 national, state, and local groups belong to the Title IX Network, which stands in principled opposition to the DOE’s proposed changes to the Title IX law (14). Organizations wishing to join the Title IX Network should contact Robert Thompson at rthompson@saveservices.org

Links:

  1. https://www.highereddive.com/news/final-title-ix-rules-likely-to-be-pushed-beyond-october/692378/
  2. https://www.saveservices.org/2022/06/63-of-americans-oppose-expanding-definition-of-sex-to-include-gender-identity/
  3. https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/npr-transgender-issues-2022
  4. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/2023/docs/filed%20Title%20IX%20complaint.pdf
  5. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/network/
  6. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/attorneys-general-and-lawmakers/
  7. https://twitter.com/againstgrmrs/status/1694074990121951321
  8. https://www.equalityfederation.org/tracker/anti-transgender-medical-care-bans
  9. Email from Doreen Denny, Concerned Women for America, August 31, 2023.
  10. https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/parental-rights-fundamental-in-18-states/
  11. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CsFhy86oxh26SgTkTq9GV_BBrv5NAA5z9cv178Fjk3o/edit#gid=0
  12. https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/21/pacific-university-forest-grove-oregon-education-lawsuit-sexual-physical-assault/
  13. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/97-843.ZS.html
  14. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-Policy/
Categories
Civil Rights Domestic Violence Due Process False Allegations Feminism Innocence Sexual Assault Sexual Harassment

As False Allegations Spiral Out of Control, Feminist Groups Work to Give False Accusers a Free Pass

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

As False Allegations Spiral Out of Control, Feminist Groups Work to Give False Accusers a Free Pass

WASHINGTON / August 23, 2023 – Courtney Conover of Pennsylvania made a series of false accusations against Dr. James Amor and another person, claiming they had mishandled the complaints of victims of rape and sexual assault. Using her blog and social media account, Conover accused them of being “the devil,” a “human monster,” had been “aiding and abetting a pedophile for two decades,” and other outlandish claims.

The jury was so disturbed by the accusations that it found in favor of Dr. Amor and awarded $1.4 million in damages. This past Friday, U.S. District Court Judge John Gallagher upheld the jury finding, although he did reduce the damages (1).

False allegations represent a growing threat across the country. A 2020 YouGov survey found that 8% of Americans had been falsely accused of sexual assault, domestic violence, or child abuse (2). Three years later, that number had increased to 10% (3).

Unfortunately, feminist groups are working to give a free pass to false accusers, focusing on both the civil and criminal settings:

Civil: Feminists are seeking to confer absolute legal immunity on women who make accusations that are knowingly false. The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that lawsuits for damages from defamatory claims reflect “our basic concept of the essential dignity and worth of every human being.” (4)

But that didn’t stop Legal Momentum (formerly, the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund) from filing an amicus brief in Khan v. Yale University seeking absolute immunity for the false accuser (5). In June, the Connecticut Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Khan, rejecting the Legal Momentum arguments (6).

Criminal: Feminist organizations are pressuring prosecutors to not file criminal charges against false accusers, even though every state has laws that ban persons from making false reports. Last week a group known as End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) released an email message titled, “Is Prosecution for False Reporting Ever Appropriate?”

The message links to a longer document with the provocative title, “Raped, Then Jailed: The Risks of Prosecution for Falsely Reporting Sexual Assault” (7). The report fails to clarify the key distinction between an allegation that is “unfounded” — not meeting the legal standard of proof — versus “false,” that is, made in bad faith.

The crux of the EVAWI argument is that prosecuting an accuser is contrary to the “public interest.” Predictably, the feminist organization’s concept of “public interest” excludes any consideration of the effects of a bogus accusation on the falsely accused, including its devastating effects on the person’s reputation, mental and physical health, social standing, and career opportunities.

Worse, EVAWI never mentions the fact that false allegations and perjury are now the number one cause of wrongful convictions, according to the National Registry of Exonerations (8).

September 9 is International Falsely Accused Day (9). The global event is intended to raise awareness of how easy it is to fall victim to a false accusation, to point out how the presumption of innocence has been eroded, and how the law continues to be upended in the name of “social justice.”

Citations:

  1. https://reason.com/volokh/2023/08/22/court-reduces-1-4m-verdict-to-71-5k-in-theylied-renaissance-faire-libel-case/#more-8246241
  2. http://www.prosecutorintegrity.org/pr/survey-over-20-million-have-been-falsely-accused-of-abuse/
  3. https://endtodv.org/survey-false-allegations-of-abuse-are-a-global-problem-women-most-often-the-accusers/
  4. Gertz v. Robert Welch, 418 U.S. 323, 341 (1974).
  5. https://www.legalmomentum.org/amicus-briefs/khan-v-yale-univ-et-al 
  6. https://www.thefire.org/news/connecticut-supreme-court-issues-blistering-critique-yales-unfair-title-ix-proceedings
  7. https://evawintl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-5_TB_Raped-Then-Jailed-1.pdf 
  8. https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/ExonerationsContribFactorsByCrime.aspx
  9. https://falselyaccusedday.org/#:~:text=Falsely%20Accused%20Day%20is%20intended,in%20the%20name%20of%20justice.&text=Falsely%20Accused%20Day%20will%20take%20place%20on%20the%209th%20September%20every%20year.
Categories
Domestic Violence

Women, Custody Disputes, and Spousal Murder

Women, Custody Disputes, and Spousal Murder

SAVE

August 21, 2023

Recently, the ex-wife of murdered Microsoft executive Jaren Bridegan was charged with first-degree murder in connection with his murder.  Bridegan, who was in the midst of a custody dispute with his ex-wife, was ambushed on the street after dropping-off the couple’s children at his ex-wife’s house.  The mother’s new husband has also been charged in the murder.

Ex-wife of slain Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan charged with his murder

Bridegan was shot and killed in the middle of a Jacksonville Beach street.

Aug 17, 2023

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wife-slain-microsoft-exec-jared-bridegan-charged-murder/story?id=102348013

A few weeks earlier, a New York woman and her new husband were charged with killing her ex-husband, with whom she shared two children.  He went missing after dropping-off the couple’s children at the ex-wife’s house.

Accused in Missing Man’s Grisly Killing: His Ex-Wife and Her Husband

Three years ago, Steven Kraft disappeared. This week, Jamie and Nicholas Orsini were arrested and accused of carrying out an elaborate plot to kill him and dispose of his body.

June 16, 2023

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/16/nyregion/steven-kraft-murder-arrests.html

These stories are reminiscent of the infamous murder of Florida State law professor Dan Markel, who was murdered while sitting in a car in his garage.  Markel was in the midst of a custody dispute with his ex-wife, who was also a law professor.  The ex-wife’s brother, a prominent dentist, has been charged with first degree murder for arranging the contract killing.  The trigger-men have already been convicted.  Many people believe other members of the wife’s family, including the wife herself, were involved.

Charlie Adelson’s trial over Dan Markel’s killing will now start in October

March 19, 2023

https://news.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2023-03-19/charlie-adelsons-trial-in-dan-markels-killing-will-now-start-in-october

These cases are also reminiscent of an earlier Illinois case in which a father, Steve Watkins, was murdered by his former mother-in-law.  Watkins was gunned down from behind when he went to the home of his estranged wife to pick up their child while their divorce case was pending. Watkins died from a single gunshot to the back of his head.

She fought the law and the law won

https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/she-fought-the-law-and-the-law-won/Content?oid=11450421

“During the 2010 trial, prosecutor Michael Vujovich called the murder a “family affair,” committed because Jennifer Watkins and her kin considered [the child] their property, and they feared that Steven Watkins might gain custody, or at least substantial visitation rights, during divorce proceedings.”

Other cases:

Dad wins custody of kids, then ex’s boyfriend kills him moments after, VA family says

May 12, 2023

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article275354046.html

Father of Children Killed in Reseda Was in Custody Fight With Mother Now Suspected of Murder

Apr. 12, 2021

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/father-of-children-killed-in-reseda-was-in-custody-fight-with-mother-now-suspected-of-murder/2571301/

Cruel twist in Queens custody fight: Mother accused of killing her baby’s father shares joint custody with his heartbroken mom

Nov. 20, 2020

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-custody-battle-queens-killing-20201120-34jkse7v5bdrdp2i3yvgh7zume-story.html

Here’s a twist on the theme.  A mother murdered her child’s paternal grandmother.

Texas Grandmother Killed Outside Starbucks, Allegedly by Child’s Mother in Dispute Over Custody

Police said Watts allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired shots at Edwards, killing her in front of the child

Apr. 20, 2022

https://people.com/crime/texas-grandmother-killed-outside-starbucks-allegedly-by-childs-mother-in-dispute-over-custody/

The common theme that runs throughout these cases is a mother who views the children as her property and is unwilling to share custody with their father.  Of interest, none of the fathers in these cases was seeking (or had) more than 50% parenting time.

Categories
Uncategorized

USDA Holds Low-Income Children Hostage on Controversial Transgender Policy

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

USDA Holds Low-Income Children Hostage on Controversial Transgender Policy

WASHINGTON / August 14, 2023 – The US Department of Agriculture is under fire from Republican lawmakers who say the USDA has politicized its school lunch program to force children to accept transgender ideology.

On July 27, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced a Joint Resolution providing for Congressional disapproval (S. J. Res. 42) of the USDA policy that removes funding from schools that do not comply with the Biden Administration’s LGBTQIA+ policy. [1]

In his press release, Sen. Marshall stated, “This administration is weaponizing funding for school lunch programs in an effort to force public schools to embrace Joe Biden’s transgender agenda.”  Marshall warned, “The USDA has no authority to force our children to adhere to woke mandates such as requiring biological boys to be given access to girls bathrooms and locker rooms, or allow biological boys to compete against biological girls in girls’ sports,” [2]

The Joint Resolution is in response to the Biden Administration’s USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service announcement on May 5, 2022 concerning a new policy on school lunch programs and gender ideology to interpret “the prohibition on discrimination based on sex found in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972” to include “discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.” [3]

In a subsequent June 5, 2023 letter, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) [4] concluded the Biden administration’s USDA policy on school lunch programs is subject to the Congressional Review Act’s (CRA) [5] requirement, and that the USDA first needs to submit its proposed policy as a draft regulation.

But, the USDA has apparently ignored the GAO decision.

The Biden administration’s proposed Title IX regulations, which are scheduled to be released in October, would change the definition of “sex” to include “gender Identity.”  The regulations also would harm women’s sports, promote gender transitioning among young children without parental consent, infringe on free speech, and remove due process protections for men who have been falsely accused.

Lawmakers are urged to contact Secretary Miguel Cardona at the Department of Education and urge that the Biden administration abandon its plan to release the proposed Title IX regulations in October.  Contact: Alejandro Reyes at alejandro.reyes@ed.gov.

Citations:

  1.   https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/42/text?s=1&r=1
  2.   https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-introduces-school-lunch-cra/
    3.    https://www.christianpost.com/news/22-states-sue-usda-for-tying-school-lunch-funding-to-lgbt-policy.html
  3.   https://www.gao.gov/assets/830/825996.pdf
  4.   https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10023
Categories
Department of Education Title IX

Growing Number of State Lawmakers Call for Abolition of Department of Education

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

 

Growing Number of State Lawmakers Call for Abolition of Department of Education

 

WASHINGTON / August 4, 2023 – Sixteen state lawmakers have signed on in support of a national campaign to abolish (or “overhaul”) the Department of Education, if the Biden Administration moves forward to release its proposed Title IX regulation.
 
 
The Department of Education’s proposed Title IX regulations, which are scheduled to be released in October, would change the definition of “sex” to include “gender Identity.”  The proposed regulations also would harm women’s sports, promote gender transitioning among young children without parental consent, infringe on free speech, and remove due process protections for men who have been falsely accused.  
 

The following 16 state lawmakers, listed on SAVE’s website, are calling for the abolition of the U.S. Department of Education: [1]

  • Rep. Susan DuBose (AL- 45)
  • Rep. Michael Ramone (DE-21)
  • Rep. Tina Lambert (ID-23)
  • Rep. Bill Rhiley (KS-80)
  • Rep. Brett Fairchild (KS-113)
  • Rep. Chris Sander (MO-33)
  • Rep. Tom Mannion (NH-Hillsborough-1)
  • Rep. Travis Corcoran (NH-Hillsborough-44)
  • Rep. David Love (NH-Rockingham-13)
  • Rep. Mark A. Pearson (NH-Rockingham-34)
  • Rep. Michael Granger (NH-Strafford-2)
  • Rep. Walter Stapleton (NH-Sullivan-6)
  • Rep. Josiah Magnuson (SC-38)
  • Rep. Jay Kilmartin (SC-85)
  • Rep. Monty Fritts (TN-32)
  • Delegate Dave LaRock (VA-33)
 
In addition, four Presidential candidates have called for the abolition of the Department of Education:
 
  • Ron DeSantis: In response to the question, are you in favor of eliminating any agencies: “We would do education, commerce, energy, and the IRS….With the Department of Education, we reverse all the transgender sports stuff. Women’s sports should be protected.”
  • Mike Pence: “Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and convert some of its current budget to grants to states and localities, providing maximum flexibility in how to deploy federal dollars.”
  • Vivek Ramaswamy: “I would shut down the U.S. Department of Education…Do I favor 6-year-olds being educated on sexuality and gender ideology? No, I don’t.”
  • Tim Scott: “The federal government has absolutely no role in our education system whatsoever. So, let’s get them out and let’s abolish the Department of Education.”
 
Also, dozens of Members of Congress have come out in opposition to the Biden administration’s Department of Education’s proposed Title IX regulations or made similar requests. 
 
State lawmakers who would like to add their name to this growing list should contact Bob Thompson, Outreach and Coalitions Manager, SAVE at rthompson@saveservices.org
Categories
Department of Education Title IX

Growing Number of State Lawmakers Call for the Abolition of the Department of Education

 
 
PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

Growing Number of State Lawmakers Call for Abolition of Department of Education

 

WASHINGTON / August 3, 2023 – Sixteen state lawmakers have signed on in support of a national campaign to abolish (or “overhaul”) the Department of Education, if the Biden Administration moves forward to release its proposed Title IX regulation.
 
 
The Department of Education’s proposed Title IX regulations, which are scheduled to be released in October, would change the definition of “sex” to include “gender Identity.”  The proposed regulations also would harm women’s sports, promote gender transitioning among young children without parental consent, infringe on free speech, and remove due process protections for men who have been falsely accused.  
 

The following 16 state lawmakers, listed on SAVE’s website, are calling for the abolition of the U.S. Department of Education: [1]

  • Rep. Susan DuBose (AL- 45)
  • Rep. Michael Ramone (DE-21)
  • Rep. Tina Lambert (ID-23)
  • Rep. Bill Rhiley (KS-80)
  • Rep. Brett Fairchild (KS-113)
  • Rep. Chris Sander (MO-33)
  • Rep. Tom Mannion (NH-Hillsborough-1)
  • Rep. Travis Corcoran (NH-Hillsborough-44)
  • Rep. David Love (NH-Rockingham-13)
  • Rep. Mark A. Pearson (NH-Rockingham-34)
  • Rep. Michael Granger (NH-Strafford-2)
  • Rep. Walter Stapleton (NH-Sullivan-6)
  • Rep. Josiah Magnuson (SC-38)
  • Rep. Jay Kilmartin (SC-85)
  • Rep. Monty Fritts (TN-32)
  • Delegate Dave LaRock (VA-33)
 
In addition, four Presidential candidates have called for the abolition of the Department of Education:
 
  • Ron DeSantis: In response to the question, are you in favor of eliminating any agencies: “We would do education, commerce, energy, and the IRS….With the Department of Education, we reverse all the transgender sports stuff. Women’s sports should be protected.”
  • Mike Pence: “Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and convert some of its current budget to grants to states and localities, providing maximum flexibility in how to deploy federal dollars.”
  • Vivek Ramaswamy: “I would shut down the U.S. Department of Education…Do I favor 6-year-olds being educated on sexuality and gender ideology? No, I don’t.”
  • Tim Scott: “The federal government has absolutely no role in our education system whatsoever. So, let’s get them out and let’s abolish the Department of Education.”
 
Also, dozens of Members of Congress have come out in opposition to the Biden administration’s Department of Education’s proposed Title IX regulations or made similar requests. 
 
State lawmakers who like to add their name to this growing list should contact Bob Thompson, Outreach and Coalitions Manager, SAVE at rthompson@saveservices.org