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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1979)
CSD social worker files racial discrimination charqe Dorothy Baker has tiled a complaint ;° o f f '»«»* racial d discrimination against the the o m in a tio n against State o f Oregon’s Childrens Service Division and plans to request a federal in vestigation o f the agency’s hiring and employment practices, and its policies, procedures and use o f funds as they apply to the needs o f Black children and their families. Ms. Baker, who is a graduate o f the Portland State University School o f Social Work, began employment at the Albina office on May 1st as a Social Worker II, with six months probation. Her duties included providing social work services to children who are wards o f the court, children in foster homes, and families who require “ preventative/restorative’ ’ services to enable the children to remain in the home. Although the position is to provide for 25 cases, Ms. Baker states that she was assigned 34 cases. With a 96 (out o f 100) civil service rating, Ms. Baker was hired in the Albina office after interviews in the Southeast, Salem and Hillsboro offices. " I was in terviewed and hired by my supervisor. It seems to be the policy in the Albina o ffic e that the supervisor who has a vacancy interviews and hires the replacement.” Ms. Baker’s credentials for the job are verified by her score o f 100 on the state’ s program assistant exam (th e firs t step in management) and her qualification for Social Worker III (supervision). " " I I was iob d isen„hn„ was not not given given orientation orientation or or train train ng. ng. | I didn’t didn’ t receive receive a a job discription or work plan tor two months although tne personnel manual says they must provided within 30 days." Ms. Baker states that she was told in July that she was doing a good job Her eligibility forms, designating that her clients were still eligible for services were 85 per cent completed and her CIS forms, showing her service plans for the clients were completed adequately. She had some errors on CIS forms but said she had never been instructed on how to complete them. "M y supervisor said she was quite pleased with my w ork,” Ms. Baker commented. In August, Ms. Baker states, she requested the orientation and training that she was supposed to have received. "M y supervisor replied. ’ Who says you need training.’ and explained that orientation sessions are scheduled by the State office when there are sufficient new workers to make up a class. Although I though, the orientation would help - I had never been given information on the basic philosophy, goals or procedures o f the agency • nty supervisor said 1 was doing alright without it.” ? " ker S3yS ' he f'rSt indicat'ons that she was in trouble came in August I had begun asking questions - why there are no Blacks on the screening committee that decides when children should be removed from their homes or the permanent planning committee that decides when permanent plans for a child need to be made, ind ud in. ...... child need to be made, including termination o f parental rights and adoption. I felt there should be a Black person on the committees, who could add a Black perspective and interpret Black culture and expectations. 1 indicated that I wan ted to be on one o f the committees. " I asked about being on the Maternal and Child Health Project Committee, then was told I am a 'committee person'. I replied that, no, 1 am just interested in child welfare. O f course, I never did get on a committee, and really never found out how the members are appointed.” Ms. Baker indicated that more serious conflict over her job arose when she objected to a foster care placement o f one o f her children. "W hen I took him to the home and found it was a home for retarded adults, I was sick The boy looked at me and said, ‘ How could you do this to me.’ 1 was angry that I had been given this home and was given no information about it. When I confron ted the referral worker she said the retarded adults were just visiting. O f course, I tried to get the boy -- a Black child — out o f the home as soon as possible and in the process I learned that this was not the first time a normal Black child had been placed in a home where he would be surrounded only by retarded people.” “ I objected to what I was told was agency policy - going to people’ s homes (Please turn to page 14 col. 1) PORTLAND OBSERVER V olum e 9 N um ber 46 N ovem ber 15, 1979 100 per copy USPS 969 680 PPS challenges segregation rule The Portland School Board w ill in v io la tio n and was a measure ask the Departm ent o f H ealth, designed to bring the district into Education and Welfare to relax the com pliance. He now holds the Singleton rule as it applies to the opinion that the district's promise to Portland school District. follow the Singleton rule obligated In 1975 HEW found the school them only for the 1975-1976 school district guilty o f discrimination in year. Based on the fact that courts assignment o f teachers. That is, the have determined that once a school district violated the rule that teachers district has complied with a court or cannot be assigned to schools in a der to desegregate it does not have to way that implies that those schools take continuing actions to remain arc designated for students o f a par desegregated, he advised that once ticular race. The Portland district the district has cured its violation had six schools that were over 5o per through the a pp lica tion o f the cent Black in enrollment, and their Singleton rule, it should be no longer teaching staffs varied from 11 to 31 obliged to follow that rule. HEW' per cent Black. The d is tric t’ s staff has continuously advised that teaching s ta ff was 6.5 per cent the district must comply. minority at that time. M cClanahan advised that the In order to continue to receive Board adopt a policy that would federal funds, the district agreed to establish a goal o f no more than adhere to the Singleton rule — to twice the percentage o f m in o rity assign between 75 per caent and 125 teachers in schools that have twice per cent ot the district’s percentage the per centage o f minority students o f m in o rity teachers (6.5) to each in the district. That is, at the current school. This indicated that no more time, any school with 40 per cent than 8 percent o f a teaching staff m in o rity enrollm ent could be in a school could be minority. assigned no more than 15 per cent The district is exploring means o f minority teaching staff. Another op assigning more Black teachers to tion would be to put a 25 per cent schools where substantial numbers ceiling on minority teachers. o f Black students attend in response McClanahan advised that the ad to the demands o f the Black United m in istratio n fo llo w the "d o u b le Front. double’ ’ guideline in assigning M ark M cClanahan, the School teachers, but allow the assignment ol B oard’ s a tto rn ey, advised the minority teachers to m inority schools Board’s Desegregation/Integration i f they request that assignment, even committee that the application o f the if the percentage goes over the goal. Singleton rule was in response to That way, the concentration o f HEW ’ s finding that the district was minority teachers in minority schools would be done at the teachers’ initiative and not the district’s. This, he advised, should relieve the d is tric t o f any charge that it is creating segregated schools and staf fs. M cClanahan advised, and the committee agreed, that the policy be changed, that it not be initiated but that a directed judgem ent be requested o f HEW, and that the new policy be placed in the application for ESSA funds for desegregation. The com m ittee discussed the possibility o f court action if HEW rules against the new policy. The School Board will vote on the policy at its next meeting. School Board member Herb C aw thorne remarked that i f the number o f m inority teachers were in crease, application o f the Singleton rule would not be as d iffic u lt. The percentage o f m inority teachers in the system is now 7.5, just one per cent higher than in 1975. Many minority teachers who were reassigned due to the 1975 finding of d is c rim in a tio n and who are now barred from teaching in the Black schools, believe the d is tric t can assign Black teachers to teach in schools were there arc concentrations o f Black children and yet comply with the Singleton rule and that any attempt to change or subvert that rule would be improper. M ore Black teachers could be (Please turn to page 14 col. 3) Reverend John H. Jackson warns that w hen you are stopped by police, they have the guns and they have the club They are trained to use the gun and th e club, and they are the only ones th a t decide w hen you present a threat to their life requiring the use of doadly force. (Photo: Richard Brown) R o n n ie H e rn d o n , d u rin g th e B U F m e e tin g to discuss p o lic e b ru ta lity in P o rtla n d 's B lack c o m m u n ity stresses W hen stopped by police rem ain calm and polite. Rem em ber the police are arm ed and may be nervous.” Richard B rown) ” (Photo: rub iio iu Druwn ........ ....... BUF investigates brutality charges I h i* K IU I ' L I I n i t « s i C r s s n t i n . I» The Black United Front, in a pub lie meeting held Thursday evening, announced a plan to investigate and deal with alleged police brutality and harassment. Complaints w ill be ac cepted, investigated and referred for legal action. Individual complaints will be referred for a class action suit in federal court, and for individual civil suits. A request for a federal in vestigation is contemplated. The BUF distributed fliers inform ing the public how to react to stops by the police. Stating that numerous com plaints are being received, citizens are being pulled from their . . . __ • .1. ■■ . cars and physically abused during traffic stops. Ronnie Herndon, BUF co-chairm an, advised people to remain calm and to retrain from any action that might provide an excuse for over reaction by the police. Following are suggestions offered by the Black United Front: W h a t to do if s to p p e d by th e police For your general protection and that o f your family, if you are stop ped by a police officer for any reason while d riv in g or w alking in your community please do the following: Remain calm and polite; remem- ber the police are armed and may be nervous. Driving: 1. P ull over as soon as safely as possible when signaled by a police officer to do so. When possible pull your car over in a well lighted area. 2. Remain calm. Make no quick or sudden movements. Roll your win dow down. 3. Place both your hands in plain view on top o f your steering wheel. 4. Wait for the o ffic e r’s instruc tions. 5. Identify the officer by name and (Please turn to page 2 col. I ) V ■: Lloyd P ierro goes o v e r th e p lan s fo r T he B lack E d u c a tio n a l C e n te r s o u td o o r c la s s ro o m w ith e . < \ I Lateefa Selfuddin. Jitu Leach and Sauda Fuller. Story on page 6. (Photo: Richard Brown) CODA: Another view By Ed Leek Last week on these pages, in an "A n a ly s is ” headlined "C O D A Abandons King lo c a tio n ,” M r. Donald Fuller continued a series o f articles presenting his views on the status and fu tu re o f the C O D A program in the King neighborhood. M r. Fuller’ s right to express his opinions on that subject is, o f cour se, not open to challenge. His opinions, and those o f others who both share his views and disagree with him, are essential components o f the healthy discussion that should go in the community concerning all government sponsored and funded programs. These discussions have of- ten not been had in this community in the past, and we are all aware o f the results. However, M r. F uller does the com m unity a disservice in his description o f the role o f the North east Coalition o f Neighborhoods in those discussions. There is no, as Mr. F uller put it, "p la n to use the Analysis C o a litio n o f Northeast neigh borhoods to make a decision fo r some other neighborhood” about the CODA program. Nor am I an "advocate o f C O D A ." Nor is any “ proposal” concerning C O D A to be presented to the N orthwest Coalition, so far as I, as Chairman, am aware. Instead, CODA made two presen tations to the Northeast C oalition last spring, prior to the time the King Neighborhood was chosen by CODA as a site for its Northwest clinic. Jim Robbins o f CO D A was advised at that time his program was certain to be a matter o f some controversy in the comm unity, and that whatever neighborhood was being considered by C O D A , should be approached and consulted about the clinic. He (Please turn to page 2 col. 4) “ Lawyers are one o f the most im p o rta n t groups o f people in this society.” T h a t’ s what Honorable Judge Belton H a m ilto n J r., to ld m inority atrorneys, law students and p ote ntia l law students at the M inority Law Day Conference The Law Day Conference was held last Saturday, November 10th at Por tland Community College, Cascade Campus, 705 N. Killingsworth. The conference is sponsored annually, by the Oregon State Bar A ffirm a tiv e A ction Program and Oregon Law School minority students and alum ni. Judge Hamilton, currently an ad m inistrative law judge w ith the Department o f Health, Education and Welfare, spoke on the topic o f "L e g a l Education As A Tool For Social Change.” The judge stressed that law school is a special process that does not brutalize the mind. He explained the sacratic teaching method, prepares the mind o f the in dividuals fo r certain things in society. “ The method o f teaching sharpens the m ind. Law school doesn't prepare you so much for a career or an occupation, but provides you with a particular philosophy to cope in a number o f d iffe re n t areas in this society. Lawyers control a certain amount o f leadership in this country. I 1 <4 «— II —11 î_ • • • . .i • I would tell all m inorities that law school can help develop a certain fle x a b ility . This is a subject that most other professionals can't deal w ith,” said Hamilton. "J u s t because a person beats a drum doesn’ t mean he wrote the music. I classify law school as three dimensional. M inority students must learn the function alas rhetoric; per formance which could be called reality and the record. In essence, these are the three R’ s you must learn. In our society, the record part is the most important. Learn how to deal w ith the record. One o f the m ajor problems fo r law students who are Black, Chicano or whatever minority background, is that we have to learn to deal with the record. In our culture, we emphasize the record or the performance, but for the most part to the exclusion o f the record. M in o rity law students are going to have to shift in approach, moving from reality, the performance, to the record. I f you can go beyond the rhe toric, the basic values o f this society w ill remain. I f you know what happened you can rationalize. You sh ou ld n't be concerned w ith what really happened opposing the rhetoric. You are now or will be in the business o f predicting how a court w ill decide. It is your job to make sure it behaves that way by presenting your argument. This is the kind o f insight you can have and _ — i. — make an impact on this society There are a total o f 170 accreditied law schools in Am erica. Recent figures show that very little money is invested in law schools. Also, the student-faculty ratio is very poor Many speakers throughout the con ference proclaim ed the sacratic teaching method is used because there is not enough teachers and close supervision o f students. Discipline and study skills are enfor ced to make up fo r the enormous classroom size and lack o f money. They stressed, that most likely other forms o f teaching, would not survive the same conditions. Discussing preparation fo r law school, m inority students were told the command o f speaking and w riting skills are a must. Students were told that many times a lot o f emphais is put on grades, but there are more important things. Speakers also explained to students, that most school professors who emphasis grades usually did good academically. Passing the bar, i f that is a law student’ s goal, after finishing school, should be given first priority. Looking at present statistics, there has been a dropping o ff o f admission at law schools. A ffirm a tiv e Action programs in Oregon and the rest o f the nation are still struggling to get where they want to be with equal op portunity. I aw s-hooh still have a (Please turn to page 2 col. 4) •sow?; Conference encourages minority law students H V Stephanie Ç/on/i/iNid L. / Michael By
