From: Letwin, Michael
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 1:25 PM
To: ALAA Members, 1199 Members
Subject: Updated Signers (173) of Mass Free Speech Grievance
On July 29, 2014, the ALAA Joint Council voted to “authorize this grievance to proceed through the third step of the grievance process.”
Additional individual endorsers from both ALAA and 1199 will continue to be listed below.
Mass Free Speech Grievance
July 15, 2014
List in formation: 173 Signers: 130 ALAA members (including 54 ACLA members*) and 43 1199/SEIU members
The undersigned members of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW Local 2325 and 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers East hereby join in grieving Legal Aid Society management’s attempt to ban “non-work-related matter involving the current situation in the Middle East,” as reflected in the two warnings (attached below), concerning messages to the ALAA email discussion list.
This censorship is just the most recent reflection of more than twelve years of pandering to complaints and threats by those seeking to silence antiwar and Palestine human rights opinion at Legal Aid.
Regardless of our individual political views, the targeted speech — like earlier opposition to racial segregation, the Vietnam War, or South African apartheid — is protected under ALAA Collective Bargaining Agreement §§ 3.5 (“Free Speech”) and 1.5. (“Union Activities”), and under relevant 1199SEIU contractual provisions.
In addition, such discrimination contributes to a broader hostile work environment for Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians and other people of color, in violation of ALAA Collective Bargaining Agreement § 3.1.1. (“Non-Discrimination”), CBA § 3.1.2. (“Affirmative Action”), relevant 1199SEIU contractual provisions, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq.
It is irrelevant that ALAA has agreed to eventually relocate its discussion list from the Society’s email system. As long as the current list exists, management may not selectively censor particular views or entire topics, while at the same time turning a blind eye to innumerable political and “non-work-related” messages — often sent by the very same list members who demand censorship of others.
There is no “heckler’s veto” or “Palestine exception” when it comes to free speech.
Moreover, since recipients can easily delete, or configure their individual Outlook settings to automatically “opt-out” of, Palestinian rights (or any other) messages, management may not engage in selective censorship under the guise of additional, unfathomable, unspecified “op-out” procedures.
We call on management to rescind this ban, and respect our free speech rights.
Signers (List in Formation)
*Denotes Attorneys of Color of Legal Aid (ACLA) member
Michael Letwin
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Former President, ALAA/UAW 2325
Noha Arafa*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Azalia Torres*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Former Sr. Attorney & Attorneys of Color (ACLA) Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Noor Ahmad*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Susan Olivia Morris
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Alternate Vice President, ALAA/UAW 2325
Jane Sampeur*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Pooja Kothari*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Lucy Herschel
Criminal Defense-Queens
Delegate, 1199SEIU
Marlen S. Bodden*
Criminal Defense-Special Litigation
ALAA/UAW 2325
Nora Carroll
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Antonia Codling*
Criminal Defense-Bronx
Affirmative Action Rep., ALAA/UAW Local 2325
Laurie Dick
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Monica D. Dula*
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Lisa Edwards*
Civil-Harlem
ALAA/UAW 2325
Taylor James*
Housing Help Program, Civil-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Daniella Korotzer
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Former Vice President and Health & Safety Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Rebecca Kurti
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Patrick Langhenry
Civil-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Kristin Lew
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
Former Negotiating Committee Member, 1199SEIU
Florence Morgan*
Criminal Defense-Queens
ALAA/UAW 2325
Mimi Rosenberg
Civil-Brooklyn Neighborhood Office
ALAA/UAW 2325
Steve Terry
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Alexandra Smith
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Bahar Ansari*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Luke Schram
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Stephanie Pope
Criminal Defense-Staten Island
ALAA/UAW 2325
Brittany Thomas*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Antonio Villaamil*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Claire Nicolay
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Antoinette Kirwan*
Juvenile Rights-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Kathryn Thiesenhusen
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Lauren Katzman
Juvenile Rights-Broklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Elena Roberts
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Aurea Gonzalez
Paralegal 1
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Rigodis Appling*
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Donella Green*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Dale Ventura*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Jawaid Stationwala*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Greg Johnston
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Katherine Fitzer
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Julie Fry
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Vice President, ALAA/UAW 2325
ManI Tafari*
Criminal Defense-Queens
ALAA/UAW 2325
Ferdinand Cesarano
Criminal Defense-Central Admin.
1199SEIU
Eric Meggett*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Steven Wasserman
Criminal Defense-Special Litigation
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Willliam Brosh, LCSW
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Roslyn Morrison*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Lisa Pitts*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Titus Mathai*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Hilary Dowling
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Bridgett Holloman
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Anna Boksenbaum
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Alternate Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Steven Kliman
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Bernadette Jackson
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Joseph Lavine
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Asmika Dangol
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Claudia Diez
Paralegal II
Criminal Appeals
1199SEIU
Jeffrey Sugarman
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Adrian Lesher
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Grover Francis
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Alternate Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Scott Rudnick
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn|
ALAA/UAW 2325
Warren Deans
Criminal Defense-Central Admin.
1199SEIU
Steven Douglas Levine
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Lois Jackson
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Cynthia Pong*
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Erin M Bannister
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Genesis Fisher*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Tajuana B. Johnson*
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
ALAA/UAW 2325
Bina Ahmad*
Criminal Defense-Staten Island
ALAA/UAW 2325
Naila Siddiqui*
Parole Revocation Defense
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Marie Mombrun*
Civil-Queens
Alt. Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Stephanie J. Fields
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Jacob Rolls
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Rumzi Araj
Criminal Defense-Bronx
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Fazeela Siddiqui*
Civil-Queens
ALAA/UAW 2325
Zoie T. Mair*
Criminal Defense-Staten Island
ALAA/UAW 2325
Jeremiah Schlotman*
Civil-Brooklyn Neighborhood Office
ALAA/UAW 2325
Rodrigo Santelices*
Civil-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Anne Oredeko*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Junior Attorney Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Samantha Seda*
Criminal Defense-Queens
ALAA/UAW 2325
Ivan Pantoja*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Middle Attorney Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Shahar Azoulay*
Parole Revocation Defense
ALAA/UAW 2325
Andrea Ibrahim*
Criminal Defense-Staten Island
ALAA/UAW 2325
Femi Disu*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Affirmative Action Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Robert Newman
Criminal Defense-Special Litigation
ALAA/UAW 2325
Bobby Codjoe*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Cory Walker
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Daniel Moore
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Jason Wu*
Civil-HCLO
ALAA/UAW 2325
Mark Weiner
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Laura Rose Bull
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate and Junior Attorney Alt. Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Alison Schill
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Kayla Simpson
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Bridgette Bissonnette
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
LGBT Caucus Alternate Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Alma Magaña*
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
Vice President, ALAA/UAW 2325
Candace Graff
Paralegal II
Juvenile Rights-Special Litigation
1199SEIU
Amy Dallas
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Susan Light
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Nadine Griffin
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Imtiaz Hossain*
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Svetlana M. Kornfeind
Criminal Appeals
ALAA/UAW 2325
Frederic Pratt
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Former Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Hernscica Vincent
Paralegal
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Joshua Carrin
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Madeline Porta
Criminal Defense-Queens
ALAA/UAW 2325
Lori Masco
Juvenile Rights-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Melissa Leigh Ballowe
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
Alternate Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Alicia Thomas*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Cynthia LaCaprucia Taylor
Civil-Harlem
Alternate Vice President (Civil Div.), ALAA/UAW 2325
Juan Charbonier
Criminal Defense-Queens
1199SEIU
Hasan Shafiqullah*
Civil-Immigration Law
LGBT Caucus
Former delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Helen Frieder
Civil-Bronx
LGBT Caucus Alternate Rep., ALAA/UAW 2325
Nada Geha
Civil-Staten Island
ALAA/UAW 2325
Richard Blum
Civil-Employment Law
ALAA/UAW 2325
Young Woo Lee
Civil-Employment Law
Alternate Vice President (Civil Div.), ALAA/UAW 2325
Jane Fox
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Todd Smith
Juvenile-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Felicia Leak
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Jeremy E.W. Fredericksen
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Bridgett Holloman
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Mitchell Paolo Esteller*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Jodi Smith*
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Vanita Martin
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Monique Fleury-Brown
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Rachel Messer
Juvenile Rights-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Robert Soriano-Hewitt*
Civil-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Lauren Monosoff
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Margaret Garrett
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Crystal Baker-Burr
Juvenile Rights-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Genitha Wint
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Deborah Pollack|
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
1199SEIU
Bharati Narumanchi*
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Grace Oboma-Layat*
Juvenile Rights-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Robin Gordon Leavitt
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Erin Tomlinson
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Alix Willard
Criminal Defense-Bronx
Delegate, 1199SIEU
Makeysha Woodman
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Lejla Bajrami
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Leah Maloney
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Michelle McGrath
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
ALAA/UAW 2325
Yvonne Nix
Criminal Defense-Manhattan
ALAA/UAW 2235
Alyssa Cose-Primus
Forensic Social Worker
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Diane Akerman
Queens CDP
ALAA/UAW
Anthony Posada*
Queens CDP
ALAA/UAW
Valerie LeBrew
Civil-Queens
1199SEIU Delegate
Omar Garcia
Civil-Brooklyn
1199SEIU Delegate
Jamaal Burnside
Juvenile Rights-Brooklyn
1199SEIU Delegate
Aisha King
Criminal Defense-Staten Island
1199SEIU Delegate
Javier Chuck
Civil-Harlem
1199SEIU Delegate
Magnus Mukoro
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU Delegate
Shawn Bosler
Juvenile Rights-Bronx
1199SEIU
Terence Davidson
Criminal Defense-Central Admin.
1199SEIU
Anastasia Taketomo
Juvenile Rights-LGBT Law and Policy Initiative
1199SEIU
Mily Rosa
Criminal Defense-Queens
1199SEIU
Lasalle Jones
Criminal Defense-Bronx
1199SEIU
Adriano De Gennaro
Civil-Prisoners’ Rights
1199SEIU
Abida Chaudhry
Criminal Appeals
1199SEIU
Phillip Guttman
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Susan Yousefi
Civil-Brooklyn
1199SEIU
Joseph Rivera
Criminal Defense-Queens
1199SEIU
Liliana Canela
Civil-Queens
1199SEIU
Michael Pate
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
Delegate, ALAA/UAW 2325
Pauloma Martinez*
Criminal Defense-Queens
ALAA/UAW
Cheryl Williams*
Criminal Appeals
ALAA/UAW 2325
Emily Poppish
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Sarah Marie Young
Parole Revocation Defense
ALAA/UAW 2325
Jess Braverman
Juvenile Rights-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
Catheranne Wyly
Juvenile Rights-Manhattan
ALAA/UAW 2325
Susan Sternberg
Civil-Lower Manhattan
Alternate Senior Attorneys Representative, ALAA/UAW 2325
Joshua Norkin, Esq.
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Bridget McDevitt
Criminal Defense-Bronx
ALAA/UAW 2325
Catherine Norris
Civil-Harlem Community Law Office
ALAA/UAW 2325
Alexander Smith
Criminal Defense-Brooklyn
ALAA/UAW 2325
——————————————————————————–
ATTACHMENTS
From: Fox, Allan
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 4:16 PM
To: Letwin, Michael
Cc: Wright, Deborah
Subject: The Society’s email policy
In 2009 and 2013, The Legal Aid Society entered into agreements with the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys to achieve compliance with the Society’s longstanding e-mail policies and to clarify the parameters of Article 1.5 of the collective bargaining agreement with respect to ALAA’s use of the Society’s e-mail system. (See copies of the attached agreements.) The 2009 agreement provides that on an interim basis, the Society agrees to permit ALAA members to create personal e-mail groups, provided however that before and after setting up a personal e-mail group any and all potential or existing members of the personal e-mail group must be given an opportunity to opt out of the personal mail group. Yesterday and today, we received several e-mails to ALAA members about a non-work-related matter sent by you involving the current situation in the Middle East, along with complaints from several ALAA members who received such communications who have elected to opt out of receiving them under the 2009 agreement. As we have previously advised you, it is a violation of the Society’s e-mail policy and the 2009 agreement to send unwanted non-work-related communications to Society employees who have opted out of receiving such communications. We are directing you to cease such actions and expect you to abide by your obligations under the 2009 agreement with ALAA and the Society’s e-mail policy. (Emphasis added.)
______________________________________________
From: Fox, Allan
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2014 3:05 PM
To: Herschel, Lucy
Subject: Email Policy & Usage
As we reiterated in an e-mail to all staff on June 26, The Legal Aid Society’s e-mail system is to be used for work-related communications. Our e-mail policy is clearly set forth in the Employee Handbook, which has been posted on LASnet for many years. Relevant portions were quoted in an e-mail today to all LAS staff. You recently sent a non-work-related e-mail communication to all ALAA and 1199 staff about recent events in the Middle East, and we have received a number of complaints from staff members who object to the communication. We are directing you to cease sending non-work-related communications that violate the policy and expect you to abide by your obligations under the Society’s e-mail policy. (Emphasis added.)
