By Guy Page
Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark announced this week she has joined 19 other attorneys general in filing a brief supporting Ellenor Zinski in her lawsuit against Liberty University. Zinski was fired after she revealed she is a transgender woman. The brief urges the Fourth Circuit to uphold the right to sue for sex-based discrimination and protect state anti-discrimination laws.
Vermont’s suit of one of the USA’s leading Christian universities over their transgender choices occurs the same week that a federal judge panel sided with Mid-Vermont Christian Academy in their suit of the State of Vermont’s ban on participation in interscholastic sports because of the school’s refusal to play their girls’ basketball team against a team with a biological male among the starting players.
Zinski worked at Liberty’s IT Help Desk and informed HR of her transgender identity after her probation. The university fired her, citing its religious status. Zinski sued under Title VII, and a judge denied Liberty’s motion to dismiss. The university appealed.
The coalition argues that Liberty’s First Amendment defenses don’t apply since Zinski’s job was secular. They warn that accepting Liberty’s claim would weaken protections against workplace discrimination and ask the court to uphold the ruling. Matt Staver of the Liberty Counsel, which is representing Liberty University, reportedly said the consequences of losing the suit would be “catastrophic” not only for LU but for “everyone else.”
Celebrate 238 years of the Constitution on State House lawn Saturday
Saturday, September 13 noon – 2 PM “Vermonters for Vermont” Initiative, a public policy education platform, will host its annual event celebrating the passage of our United States Constitution on 17 September 1787 in Philadelphia, PA.
The Constitution became the laws of America 238 years ago on 21 June 1788 after New Hampshire was the 9th state to ratify the document. The Constitution has been a huge part of everyday life, its seven Articles, twenty-seven Amendments with the first ten being the Bill of Rights.
“We are doing our celebration different this year,” said Gregory Thayer, principal of the organization. “We are teaching parts of the Constution this year. We are talking about the First Amendment, Birth Right citizenship embodied in the Fourteenth Amendment, and the truth about the separation of Church and State, the Supremacy clause found in Article 6, Section II.”
Also, there will be discussions on Americanism over marxism, the Federalist Papers authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, a series of 85 essays that were essential to the passage of this document. The event will close with discussion about why this sacred document is important to the survival of the United States of America.
For more information, contact V4V at V4V2018@aol.com.
New mosquito virus hits Vermont
Vermont Health Department officials have confirmed the first case of Jamestown Canyon virus in a person in Vermont. Jamestown Canyon virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. While most people don’t get sick, some develop flu-like symptoms or more severe symptoms. The case was confirmed Sept. 8 in a person from Windsor County.
Public hearing in Norton over border crossing changes
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed modernization of the Norton Land Port of Entry on the U.S.–Canada border.
The project aims to upgrade facilities so U.S. Customs and Border Protection can more efficiently conduct inspections and fulfill its mission at the Norton–Stanhope crossing.
A public meeting to share details and collect feedback will be held Thursday, September 18, from 6-8 PM at the Norton Town Office, 12 VT-114 East. The session will also be accessible via Zoom.
Community members will have an opportunity to review the Draft EA and offer comments on potential environmental impacts of the proposed project.
Mohsen Mahdawi goes back to school
Four months after being arrested, detained, and nearly deported by the Trump administration, Mohsen Mahdawi, a 34-year-old Palestinian student and U.S. permanent resident, has returned to Columbia University, according to media reports.
Mahdawi was detained in April by federal immigration authorities in Colchester. He was released by a judge April 30, despite federal claims that he had tried to re-enter the U.S. with illegal drugs in his possession, and had sought to purchase a machine gun.
Mahdawi, a prominent organizer of campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, said federal authorities targeted him for his activism. His detention drew criticism from civil liberties and immigrant rights groups.
“They have failed to silence me, and in fact, now I am more outspoken than before,” Mahdawi told The Guardian news outlet. “I feel victorious that the government has failed to strip me from my education.”
Mahdawi has begun a master’s program at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he plans to focus on diplomacy, conflict resolution, and peacemaking.