An Alert from the Lambda Letters Project - March 2004

(reprinted from a Lambda Letters email alert)

Please Protest Discrimination At California State University San Diego

Dear Friends,

We have sent  thousands of letters and messages protesting discrimination by San Diego State University against Dr. Pat Washington. And the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ruled in Dr. Washington's favor. Even so, the University still has not given in.

So today we ask you to write to the Chancellor of the University. Hopefully we can help him see how the reputation of the State University is being undermined by its continuing refusal to reverse its discriminatory decision in the case of Dr. Washington. We need to persuade him to do the right thing.

Dr. Washington was a valuable faculty member at San Diego State University (SDSU). She has been fired by that University. She was fired because she is black and a woman and because she complained about a racially hostile work environment.

We need to keep up the pressure. So please send your messages as soon as possible. And please distribute this alert as widely as possible to maximize the flow of mail to the Chancellor.

Sample Letter and instructions

You may use the following sample message or compose your own. The addresses of the legislators who need to hear from you follow the sample message.

SAMPLE MESSAGE

Dr. Charles B. Reed, Chancellor
California State University
401 Golden Shore, Rm. 641
Long Beach, CA 90802

Dear Dr. Reed:

I am writing to express my dismay that the well documented discrimination by the San Diego State University (SDSU) against Dr. Pat Washington has still not been reversed. I understand that the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ruled that Dr. Washington should be reinstated and given the faculty status she would have been granted, absent discrimination and retaliation by SDSU. It disturbs me to hear that SDSU has decided to go to court rather than comply with the ruling of the EEOC.

I am equally disturbed by the damage being done to our state's university system by the intransigence of SDSU. I am told that, over the past year, more than 1,000 letters of protest have been sent to the State University's Board of Regents and a similar number of letters have been sent to our state legislators. Letters have come from residents of our state, but many have come from out of state as well. Letters have come from respected faculty members of colleges and universities in California as well as from faculty in other states. I understand a number of newspapers have reported on the
situation at SDSU.

Dr Reed, SDSU made a grievous error when it refused to grant tenure to Dr. Washington. Now it is compounding the problem by digging in and refusing to do the right thing. I realize it is always difficult to admit to an error. But failing to do so in this case, is undermining the reputation of San Diego State University.

I urge you to do the right thing. Please take whatever action is necessary to have SDSU comply with the ruling of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I look forward to hearing that Dr. Pat Washington is again teaching at San Diego State University.

Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME)
(YOUR ADDRESS)

E-MAIL ADDRESS

To send your message to Dr. Reed just click on the address link found below:

Dr. Reed

That will cause a new outgoing message to pop up. The address for Dr. Reed should already appear in the address box of the message. You should also see a subject listed on the subject line of the message.

Then cut and paste the sample message, found above, into the body of the message. Or you can compose your own message.

Finally, click on go and your message will be sent to Dr. Reed. I will also get a copy of your message.

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Love,

Boyce Hinman
Lambda Letters