Discrimination

andrews@herald-mail.com It's been 30 years since the pioneering federal law known as Title IX first prohibited sexual discrimination in school sports, activities, and academics. "Without a doubt, Title IX has opened the doors of opportunity for generations of women and girls to compete, and to pursue their American dreams," U.S. Secretary of Education Roderick Paige said last June, when he created a Commission on Opportunity in Athletics to examine the law. Girls and women have made enormous strides in catching up. But as worthy as Title IX is, it's confusing and could be tightened, according to the commission's report, submitted last month.

The longtime Jefferson County administrator fired in September 2009 on a 3-2 vote by the county commissioners this week filed an eight-count civil suit claiming discrimination, human rights violations and wrongful discharge, according to the suit filed in the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk's office. Leslie Smith's suit alleges that all five commissioners violated her rights, discriminated against her on the basis of sex and age, harassed her and broke her work contract, and accuses them of retaliatory discharge and violating the state's wage payment and collection act in firing her Sept.

Aging people still have a lot to contribute To the editor: Regarding the letter to the editor from John Longanecker, of Aspers, Pa., concerning the age of Vice President Joe Biden: The letter was sheer discrimination. Age discrimination involves treating (be it an applicant or employee) someone less favorably because of age.  The Age Discrimination in Employment Act only forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older. It does not protect workers under the age of 40, although some states do have laws that protect younger workers from age discrimination.  I retired three years ago from the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic assistant.

Hagerstown Hopes will be from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 18, in the area around the Arts Pavilion at Doub's Wood Park, off Maryland Avenue. The theme of the 2013 festival is discrimination of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Questioning community. Speakers will talk about issues such as becoming a homeless teen because of sexual orientation and discrimination in employment or housing. Musical guests will include Lawren Hill and Lance Trussell, DJ JerrBear, and Shawn Nakia.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - In the past two months, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission administrative judges have awarded two employees of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Berkeley County, W.Va., a combined $327,000 in discrimination suits. Now, two of the men involved in the suits for alleged acts of discrimination and harassment may lose their jobs at the hospital, according to Richard Smith, vice president of the local chapter of the National Association of Government Employees, the union that represents medical center workers.

Committee approves gay rights bill By LAURA ERNDE / laurae@herald-mail.com ANNAPOLIS - Gay rights legislation embarked Wednesday on what's expected to be a speedy trip through the Maryland House of Delegates. The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-8 to send the bill to the House floor, where it will likely pass, although most Washington County delegates plan to vote in opposition. The bill bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in the areas of housing, public accommodations and employment.

EDITORIAL: Equal pay and education Men and women who do the same job should get the same pay. It's a simple concept, but it took 10 years to make it a reality in Washington State, according to a consultant who is helping West Virginia with the pay-equity issue. Work on the issue began this year when the West Virginia legislature passed SB 31, which orders the state government to study ways to eliminate gender discrimination, including pay inequities. The bill set up an Equal Pay Commission, which is due to report back to the legislature's Joint Committee on Government and Finance by the year 2000.

The Hagerstown Suns claimed early victories in their Church Bulletin Days discrimination legal battle on Monday, saying that an administrative law judge had denied several motions from the plaintiffs in the case. According to a statement from the team, Maryland Administrative Law Judge Georgia Brady denied a motion for summary judgment, and denied two separate requests to bar certain testimony from the June 28 hearing. In general, summary judgment can be granted in cases in which both parties agree on the facts of a case.

A hearing before a Maryland administrative law judge to determine whether the Hagerstown Suns' "Church Bulletin Days" promotion is a form of religious discrimination has been scheduled to begin June 28, an attorney for the man who charged the Suns with discrimination said Friday. Meanwhile, Suns General Manager David Blenckstone said a halo patch will be added to the sleeve of the Suns' home uniforms as a way of thanking those who have supported the church bulletin promotion. American Civil Liberties Union Attorney Dwight Sullivan, who represents the Waynesboro, Pa., man who accused the Suns of religious discrimination, said Suns representatives declined to try to negotiate a settlement during a pre-hearing conference on Friday.

The Hagerstown Suns have lost a round in a battle with a Waynesboro, Pa., man who claims the minor league team's "Church Bulletin Day" promotion is a form of religious discrimination. The Maryland Commission on Human Relations has found there is probable cause for Carl H. Silverman's religious discrimination case against the Suns, setting the stage for a public hearing on the matter. --cont from news -- David Blenckstone, the minor league team's general manager, said he expected the state agency to make such a finding because the commission had asked the team to stop offering ticket discounts to fans who bring church bulletins to Sunday games.