News
Enzo’s
STEM Champs
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mediation; and complaints against McMenamins’ Kennedy
School are also headed toward a mediated solution.
Defining discrimination in court
Restaurant owners do not have
the right to refuse service to
anyone from a protected class
Attorneys interviewed by The Skanner News say it is very
difficult to prove disparate treatment in a restaurant. But
they offered a few tips that might help diners head off a
humiliating experience, and possibly win in court.
One of the most important things to remember is that
restaurant owners do not have the right to refuse service to
anyone from a protected class – but if you become disrup-
tive or threatening, that could be a game changer.
Attorney Greg Kafoury, who won a $105,000 judgment
for a local African American falsely accused of shoplifting
in an H&M store, says in any similar situation you should
get all the details you can – name of the manager, name of
the server, any witnesses if possible – and note the time,
date and anything else that seems important.
Both he and Dennis Steinman, of Kell, Alterman and
Runstein LLP, both suggested the same first step:
“Stay calm and go up to the manager and ask them
whether they intend to serve you,” Kafoury said.
Steinman added that having your smartphone handy to
record the conversation is not a bad idea, because the
biggest obstacle to proving disparate treatment before a jury
PHOTO COURTESY SEN. PATTY MURRAY
The key law governing discrimination in accommodation
is the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, which established
“protected classes” of people who have historically suffered
discrimination. The areas affected include: race, color, reli-
gion, national origin, age, gender, pregnancy, disability,
veteran status, and genetic status. Sexuality is established as
a protected class by Oregon state law.
Sen. Patty Murray (d-wA), examines medical equipment during an April 1 tour of the Thomas
Building Training Lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer research Center, with Technology Access
Foundation Academy students Ericka Pegues and Favour Orji. Murray met with President and
director d. Gary Gilliland and other leaders in the local health research and education
communities to discuss the need to invest in innovative research and development, and how to
increase the role of women in Science, Technology, Education, and Math (STEM) fields. included in
the discussion were geneticist Mary-Claire king of the University of washington School of Medicine,
Caroline king, chief policy officer of washington STEM, and transplant biologist Beverly Torok-Storb,
founder of Fred Hutch’s Summer High School internship program.
is lack of evidence.
A specialist in business franchise law as well as civil
rights with a focus on the Americans with Disabilities Act,
Steinman says many of the cases he sees right now involve
disabled people with therapy dogs who are barred from
restaurants.
“What I have found over the years when members of the
protected class tell me that they know they’ve been treated
differently because of their membership in a protected
class, the vast majority of them are absolutely right,” Stein-
man says. “Their gut is telling them exactly what’s going
on, but proving it in court is a whole different issue.”
Read the rest of this story online at www.theskanner.com
Martin
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Terrell. “You need people like myself to
bring that point out. I call it the ugly truth.”
Fulton’s visit to the Maranatha pulpit will
be her first time addressing a crowd in the
Rose City.
In 2013 she was scheduled to keynote the
Black Parent Initiative’s annual symposium
but was forced to cancel due to a family
emergency.
In the days following the “not-guilty” ver-
dict handed in by a six-woman Florida jury,
acquitting Zimmerman of second-degree
murder and the lesser charge of manslaugh-
ter, Portlanders joined outcry across the
nation in part by pouring into the streets.
Hundreds, if not thousands, gathered in
solidarity with Martin’s family in a series of
protests against unjust killings, racial profil-
ing, and a lack of accountability in the
justice system.
Despite temperatures that week topping
the 80’s, many Portlanders donned hoodies
during the Summer 2013 rallies.
Martin wore a hoodie the night he died
while carrying nothing but Skittles, iced tea
onymous with how Black and Latino youth
are unfairly criminalized and profiled in the
time since Martin’s passing.
Activists say public outrage over Martin’s
killing served as the launching pad for the
growing #BlackLivesMatter movement
Portlanders joined outcry across the nation in
part by pouring into the streets
and a cell phone; he was talking with a
friend during the confrontation with Zim-
merman.
Zimmerman has been arrested on domes-
tic violence charges three times since his
acquittal in the Martin case.
The hoodie has gone on to become syn-
which was created as an “ideological and
political intervention” to the disparate treat-
ment of Black Americans.
The issues of police shootings, gang vio-
lence, and vigilante killings, the emerging
movement has brought people together
from around the country and even inspires a
opened up widely and we have a couple of
hundred employers who list positions with
us,” Lindsay said. “We have just seen an
influx over the last couple of years.”
job-seekers coming to the event is to be pre-
pared and ready to be interviewed. Some
employers will be ready to interview on
site, others may set up an interview at a later
spate of proposed new laws in Oregon.
The movement gained significant steam
in the wake of other high profile deaths of
Black people including Eric Garner in New
York, Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Jordan
Davis also of Florida, and Mike Brown Jr.
in Ferguson, Missouri.
Here in Oregon, State Rep. Lew Frederick
has named the movement as one of the main
reasons he has introduced 11 police-reform
bills into the legislature, with the aim in-
part of reducing profiling.
In addition to Fulton’s speech, the pro-
gram will include spoken word, poetry, and
music for youth and other community mem-
bers as well.
For more information on the event, organ-
izers ask you to leave a message at
503-288-8429.
Career
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Employers such as PGE, Legacy Health
Systems, Janus Youth Programs and Port-
land State University will be on hand to
meet applicants. Many of these employers
are also Urban League partners who work
with the organization throughout the year
and list jobs with them.
“They don’t just come to the career fair,
they’re folks who avidly seek folks that we
recruit and help train,” Lindsay said. “They
avidly see the urban league as a good
resource for recruitment.”
Over 70 employers will attend the event.
To see a list of other organizations, click
here.
Lindsay said the job fair is steadily grow-
ing and now is one of the largest and most
diverse job fairs in the Portland area.
“We have seen that opportunities have
Some employers will be ready to interview on site,
others may set up an interview at a later date
Employers are looking for a wide variety
of applicants, ranging from entry-level
work, skilled trades, professional, manage-
ment and executive positions.
High school and college students are
encouraged to attend as well because there
will be companies present that have intern-
ship opportunities.
Lindsay said the most important tip for
date. But in either case, the job seeker is
likely to meet the very people who would be
interviewing them at the fair.
“They should come dressed to impress,
they should bring their resumes, bring their
A-game, and be prepared to meet employers
who have immediate opportunities with
their companies,” Lindsay said.
Job hunters are also encouraged to visit
the office of Workforce Development to
update their resume or brush up on their
interview skills if they feel they need that
help.
The Urban League is also offering free
professional profile photos, taken at the
event by Photography by Reba. These pho-
tos can be used for professional and
employment-related social networks such
as LinkedIn.
Job seekers are not required to pre-regis-
ter before the event.
The event is free and open to the public.
The 22nd Annual Career Connections Job
Fair will be held at 1000 Multnomah Street,
Portland, OR 97232 on Wednesday, April
22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
April 8, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 3