pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 41 No. 29 July 21-27, 2017
Family Portrait: Manjot Singh Khalsa answers to a greater power PAGE 29
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
• City seeks dismissal of Boxers’ lawsuit • Action Wellness extends reach
Pride Nights approach for Philadelphia Union and Phillies
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Exclusive: Former Mazzoni Center CEO Nurit Shein speaks out
D.A. may request a protective order in Morris case By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A representative of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office this week said the agency expects to seek a protective order in PGN’s open-records case for 911 recordings relating to the Nizah Morris incident. Protective orders typically are employed to seal court records that otherwise would be accessible to the public. During a July 18 pretrial conference, an assistant district attorney also said the office expects to request that PGN cover legal fees and costs associated with the litigation. Immediately before the assistant D.A.’s statement about a protective order, PGN attorney Justin F. Robinette requested limited discovery in the case, which the assistant D.A. opposed. “Civil cases such as this one typically have a discovery phase, which involves the sharing of documents and information,” Robinette said outside the courtroom. “I objected to the D.A.’s opposition to discovery because our side is entitled to it.” Robinette also emphatically opposed a protective order in the case. “I hear your outrage,” replied Common Pleas Judge Abbe F. Fletman, who’s handling the case. Fletman said the D.A.’s Office is free to file whatever motions it pleases, and she’ll rule on them in due time. Fletman also said she may hold oral arguments prior to ruling on a motion from the D.A.’s Office. Morris was an African-American trans woman found with a fatal head wound in December 2002, shortly after a police “courtesy ride” in the Gayborhood. Her homicide remains unsolved, and the D.A.’s Office says it has an “open” investigation. In the past, the D.A.’s Office indicated it doesn’t have any Morris 911 recordings in its “possession, custody or control,” which is a legal phrase to denote an agency’s records. But in 2016, the state Office of Open Records determined a nine-page transcript of Morris 911 recordings created by PGN is in the D.A.’s “possession, custody or control.” PAGE 8 PGN made the tran-
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By PGN Staff
SUNDAY SIZZLE: Locals came together for some fun in the sun last weekend at LGBTQ Home 4 Hope. The organization, which provides housing and other services for LGBT people, hosted a Community Day July 16 at its North Philadelphia location. Supporters enjoyed barbecue food, played games and took part in community-building exercises, as well as donated items to the organization’s drive, which amassed toiletries, clothing, food and more for the residents. Photo: Scott A. Drake
PA teens testify in trans-bathroom case By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com Students at a Berks County school district testified Monday in a federal court case in which students are claiming the school’s transgender-inclusive policies violated their privacy. Two of four students suing the Boyertown Area School District and one trans student presented their cases at an evidentiary hearing in Easton. The two cisgender students, a male and a female, testified their privacy was being violated and constituted it as sexual harassment. The male student, identified as Joel Doe, recalled a situation in October in which he saw a trans male student getting changed in the locker room. “Someone next to me tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘Turn around,’” Doe testified, according to The Morning Call. “I turned around and saw a girl standing there. “I scrambled to get everything into the locker as fast as I could so I could get out of there,” he added. The Alliance Defending Freedom and the
Independence Law Center are representing the two cis students. Neither organization responded to requests for comment. Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Pennsylvania Youth Congress provided representation for the school district and Aidan DeStefano, a trans male student whose rights could be affected if the cis students win the lawsuit. “I made sure that my peers were OK with me going into that bathroom,” the 18-year-old testified, according to a Penn Live story. “I never got any questions at all, because this is who I am.” While DeStefano graduated inJune, he contended in court documents that he would still use the school’s facilities on certain occasions. His younger sister will be a senior at the school, DeStefano said in a supplemental declaration, as will several close friends. “I may want to come back to campus for other events where alumni and visitors are welcome, as I will be attending college in the area and will have many friends still attending BASH,” he wrote. Another hearing will be held Aug. 11. n
After two decades at the helm of Mazzoni Center, CEO Nurit Shein left the organization in the spring after allegations of racism at the organization, an employee walkout and criticism that she covered up incidents of alleged sexual impropriety by the organization’s former medical director, Dr. Robert Winn. In her first interview since leaving Mazzoni, Shein spoke to PGN exclusively about her last days of employment, the protests against her and her role in the Winn investigation. This interview has been edited for length; the full interview can be found at www. epgn.com. PGN: When did you learn about the allegations of sexual impropriety by Dr. Winn? NS: I think we need to put it in context. It was brought to me on a Monday morning after, on Friday, a case manager and her supervisor learned from a client about some allegations. When it was brought to me on Monday, we turned it to the lawyers and we started an investigation — an external, outside, unbiased investigation — and at that point, I informed my board president about it and I also informed the insurance company. Now these are just allegations that a client brought. I can’t tell you where it is right now because I don’t know. PGN: What is your response to criticism that you knew about these allegations prior to their being brought to your attention? NS: Obviously, for liability reasons and for confidentiality reasons, I am not going to go into any specific allegations. What I will tell you is that any allegation that came to my knowledge was investigated, dealt with either internally or with the board and/or externally. That is not to say that gossip within an organization of 140 people doesn’t go very far. So while as an employer and as a supervisor, I cannot tell PAGE 15 anybody what correc-