by CREEC | Mar 25, 2016 | CREEC in the news, Discrimination, Equal respect, Friends of CREEC in the news, Prison law
Our Decoteau case challenging the lack of outdoor exercise for inmates in solitary confinement at the Colorado State Penitentiary was the focus of an article on clinical legal education in The National Jurist. We love working with Civil Rights Clinic students and appreciate the shout-out to CREEC. (Note: The link leads to an inaccessible copy of the article. A word version is available here). Here’s a sneak peek from the article: The recent victory over the Colorado prison system was no overnight success. It was the culmination of years of work by the clinic and the advocacy organization Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center. The students coming in know this can be a long slog, [Clinic Director Laura] Rovner said. They fight the good fight and then hand it off to the next group of students. However, the work resonates long after they leave. When the recent settlement was announced, Rovner got emails from former students who worked on the case, telling her how rewarding it was to hear the news. The students also learn a lot about themselves. They may have preconceived notions about prison, about inmates, about whether they deserve sympathy or help. Best Schools for Practical...
by Amy F. Robertson | Mar 23, 2016 | Case news, Religion, Sexual orientation
Crystal Rea and IntelliTec Colleges Reach Agreement College Reaffirms Importance of Non-Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Religion GRAND JUNCTION, CO – Crystal Rea and IntelliTec Colleges have reached an agreement that will continue to ensure that IntelliTec students receive an education free from discrimination based on sexual orientation or religion. The Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center (CREEC) filed a complaint last year with the Colorado Civil Rights Division on behalf of Crystal Rea, a student at IntelliTec’s Grand Junction campus, alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation and religion. Following the Division’s investigation, the parties worked together to reach an agreement that will help IntelliTec continue its commitment to education free of discrimination. IntelliTec was commended on its last accreditation review for “creating an environment/culture at the Grand Junction campus that shows support for all students along with a focus on student success as a core value of all the staff and faculty.” Rea appreciates IntelliTec’s efforts to create a welcoming learning environment for all students and IntelliTec appreciates Rea’s willingness to help improve the College’s atmosphere of inclusiveness and professionalism. IntelliTec congratulates Rea on the successful completion of her program of study and her new job, in her field, following her graduation. The full participation of both parties has shown how the Civil Rights Division can function as a resource for people who believe they have encountered discrimination by Colorado...
by CREEC | Mar 22, 2016 | Americans with Disabilities Act, Case news, Title III
On March 22, 2016, Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval to a class action settlement in CREEC et al. v. Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. Ashford owns approximately 125 hotels located in 20 states. The lawsuit, brought by CREEC and two individuals with mobility disabilities who use wheelchairs, alleges that many hotels owned by Ashford provide transportation services to guests, but fail to provide equivalent wheelchair-accessible transportation services as required by the ADA and California state law. As the Court noted in the final approval order, the settlement “provides a comprehensive scheme for injunctive relief, requiring all Ashford-owned and/or operated hotels to come into compliance with ADA regulations that require hotels that offer transportation services to provide transportation services to people who use wheelchairs or scooters.” The Court further noted that the agreement “sets forth what ‘compliance’ means, with specific attention to ensuring that any third party transportation providers utilized by Ashford hotels provide equivalent accessible transportation,” and that the agreement “explicitly requires that Ashford hotels provide accurate information to potential hotel guests so that no guests are erroneously deterred.” As a result of the settlement, all of the hotels owned by Ashford that provide transportation services to their guests will provide equivalent accessible services to guests who use wheelchairs or scooters. The accessible services will be equivalent in timing, notice, routes or geographic scope, fares, hours, reservations, and restrictions. The settlement provides for three years of monitoring of the hotels to ensure compliance. Plaintiffs and the Settlement Class are represented by CREEC, CCDC, and Campins Benham-Baker...
by Amy F. Robertson | Mar 14, 2016 | Education
Julie Wilensky, Director of CREEC’s California office, and Jacob Richards of Keller Rohrback, LLP presented at a brown bag sponsored by Colorado’s Plaintiff Employment Lawyer Association on the subject of Advocating for the Rights of LGBT Employees. The lunch was held at Rathod Mohamedbhai’s awesome new building, Laundry on Lawrence. We all got a tour after the presentation. Q and Tim check out RM’s excellent ramp: And we all appreciated the fantastic decor....
by Amy F. Robertson | Mar 12, 2016 | Education
I got to do one of my favorite things today: teach about disability rights and enforcement to a group of enthusiastic advocates and future disability rights leaders. Under the leadership of Menda Ide, the nonprofit group Access and Ability holds an annual leadership conference for up and coming disability rights advocates in Northern Colorado. I was privileged to present today, including a whirlwind tour of the ADA, Section 504 and the Fair Housing Act, and of course, surveying and enforcement — with props! Thanks, Menda, for the chance to work with this terrific...
