Lambda Letters Alert

Please Support Investigation of Discrimination At California State University

Dear Friends,

PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE TRYING A NEW SYSTEM

As many of you know we have been having some problems with the vendor software that we have been using for our E-mail alerts. For that reason, at least temporarily, we are going to try a new system for sending alerts. In some ways it may be easier for you to use. PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SEND YOUR MESSAGES BELOW. Those instructions will be different than you are used to. Please feel free to send me your comments on this method. If you do that, please send your comments to: LambdaLP@aol.com

So, today we would like you to write to Senator Dean Florez encouraging him to do a comprehensive investigation of discrimination in the California State University system.

Please see the Background Information below and then send your message to Senator Florez. Please forward this message to all your friends so as to maximize the flow of mail going to the Senator.

Did you know you can contribute to Lambda Letters without spending a cent of your own money? See how by checking out the information on "GoodSearch.com" near the bottom of this message.

For those of you who want to get right to it, click on the following link:

Mailto:BoyceH1021@aol.com?BCC=Senator.Florez@senate.ca.gov

That will cause an outgoing E-mail to appear in your window. It should already be addressed to both me at Lambda Letters and to Senator Florez Then please do the following:

1. Look for the subject line in red below. Please copy and paste it into the subject line of the outgoing message.
   
   Here is the subject line: Please Do A Comprehensive Study of Discrimination at California State University
2. Then look for the message in green found below. Please copy and paste that message into the body of the outgoing message.
3. Add your name and address below “sincerely” at the bottom of the letter.
4. Then send your message

Please be sure to read the section below, entitled HOW TO SEND YOUR MESSAGES, to learn the way to respond to these alerts.

Note: THERE IS A WAY TO ENTER AND SAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS AND A PASSWORD WHEN YOU RESPOND TO OUR E-MAIL ALERTS. AFTER SAVING THEM ONCE YOU WILL NO LONGER NEED TO ADD YOUR NAME ADDRESS, ETC. EACH TIME YOU RESPOND TO AN ALERT. IN THE FUTURE YOU WILL ONLY NEED TO ENTER YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS AND PASSWORD AND THEN CLICK ON SUBMIT. SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.

You may notice we have added the sample message back into the format of these alerts as the result of requests from our members. However, you do not need to cut and paste the message. Our e-mail service will do that automatically for you.

Note: if you are visually impaired and would like to receive future messages from Lambda Letters in larger print, please send us a message and put the words "Large Print" in the subject line of your message.

BACKGROUND

Recently a jury ruled that California State University, Fresno had engaged in discrimination against women in its sports program. The school will have to pay the plaintiff $5.85 million for this discrimination. Also recently a woman was awarded $3.5 million in a discrimination complaint against the University of California Berkeley.

In response to these and other problems the Senate Select Committee on Gender Discrimination and Title IX Implementation is holding hearings on these cases and similar allegations of discrimination against California’s state colleges and universities. Senator Florez is the Chair of this committee. Title IX is federal legislation that bans this kind of discrimination.

That is a good thing. However, the committee is only investigating gender discrimination as it pertains to violations to Title IX and women in sports. They are motivated to do this because that's where most of the major legal settlements are occurring and it's costing taxpayers millions of dollars. It's also putting the CSU at risk of losing Federal dollars.

We need for the legislature to investigate employment discrimination against women and People of Color in the CSU more broadly as it pertains to retention and promotion in all areas of employment, not just women in sports. The discrimination against women in sports may just be the tip of the iceberg. It is probably an example of discrimination faced by women and People of Color throughout the CSU system. It's also important to focus on retention and promotion. It does no good to hire lots of women and people of Color if you then refuse to give them tenure and keep them in employment. It is important to look at how many women and People of Color the schools hire AND how many they retain.

Please write to Senator Florez, Urge him to investigate the whole CSU system not just its sports programs. Urge him to investigate CSU’s record with regard to women AND People of Color. And finally ask him to look not just at the hiring of women and minorities BUT ALSO at the retention rates for these employees.

SAMPLE MESSAGE

You will see the sample message when you follow the steps under How To Send Your Messages. You do not need to cut and paste the message. However, several people have asked to see a copy of the message in the alert itself. So the body of the message we ask you to send is as follows: (Note: The E-mail software will add the address and salutation when you send your messages.)

HOW TO SEND YOUR MESSAGES

Please click on the following link:

Mailto:BoyceH1021@aol.com?BCC=Senator.Florez@senate.ca.gov

That will cause an outgoing E-mail to appear in your window. It should already be addressed to both me at Lambda Letters and to Senator Florez The please do the following:

1. Look for the subject line in red below. Please copy and paste it into the subject line of the outgoing message.
   
   Here is the subject line: Please Do A Comprehensive Study of Discrimination at California State University
2. Then look for the message in green found above. Please copy and paste that message into the body of the outgoing message.
3. Add your name and address below “sincerely” at the bottom of the letter.
4. Then send your message