PFLAG: Defamatory Statements by Pinellas County Juvenile Board member

[Ian David]

National Gay and Lesbian Organizations Respond To Defamatory Statements Made By Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board Member

(Tampa, FL) On behalf of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is demanding a public retraction and apology from the Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) in response to defamatory statements made by board member Cecilia Burke. NCLR cooperating attorney Carl Schuh is co-counsel on the case.


In a written memorandum addressed and circulated to the entire JWB on February 7, 2005, Burke stated that GLSEN and PFLAG “endorse unhealthy sexual practices among youth, including sex between underage youth and adults.” This statement is false.


“This outrageously irresponsible memo is false, scandalous and defamatory, and it is damaging to our clients’ reputations,” said NCLR attorney Karen Doering. "We cannot allow such slanderous and absurd characterizations to go unchallenged and we are prepared to pursue every legal avenue available to hold the Juvenile Welfare Board accountable."


The groups issued a demand letter to the JWB on March 4 insisting that the JWB immediately retract the false and defamatory statements and write a formal letter of apology, and that Cecilia Burke read the retraction and apology into the record at the next JWB meeting. In addition, the letter requests that the JWB “reaffirm its commitment to promoting, promulgating and using age appropriate and medically accurate information, materials and training regarding health and juvenile welfare.” The letter gives the JWB 10 days to comply with the demands before further legal action is initiated. GLSEN and PFLAG reserve all rights regarding further legal action should the JWB not be responsive.


“GLSEN staff, volunteers and student organizers from across the country are working hard to ensure schools are safe places for all students,” said GLSEN Founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings. “We cannot and will not allow irresponsible comments to mischaracterize, demean and undercut all of their hard work.”


“For more than 30 years, PFLAG has helped families understand that their gay and lesbian loved ones are fine just as they are. By doing so, we save families and save lives,” said Ron Schlittler, Interim Executive Director. “We could not let these misinformed, hurtful and unjustified comments by a public official in a public document simply pass. In fact, the viciousness of this attack required that we take this course of action to preserve the truth: first and foremost, PFLAG cares about children and their families.”


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Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Florida, USA
http://www.jwbpinellas.org

6698 68th Avenue North, Suite A
Pinellas Park, Florida, USA 33781-5060
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Executive Director
James E. Mills, ACSW
[e-mail]

Gubernatorial Appointee
Cecilia Burke
[e-mail]



Governor Jeb Bush
[e-mail]

PL 05 The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Dorthy Whitlock
Children's Services Committee
Phone: [phone]
[e-mail]


Director of Programs & Finance
Lisa A. Sahulka, MPA
[e-mail]

Director of Community Planning
& Research
Browning Spence, Jr., Ph.D.
[e-mail]

Director of Quality Management
& Training
Cynthia Bell, M.S.
[e-mail]

Manager of Research & Evaluation
Starr Silver, Ph.D.
[e-mail]

Director of Communications
Kathy Helmuth, M.Ed.
[e-mail]

Executive Assistant/Secretary to the Board
Amy Daly
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Director of Finance
Susan Walterick
[e-mail]

Special Assistant to the Executive Director
Debra Prewitt, MPA
[e-mail]

Director of Information Technology
Patricia K. Gehant, M.A.
[e-mail]

Training Center Director
Ellen Ward, Ph.D.
[e-mail]

Director of Human Resources
Walter G. Williams
[e-mail]




Board of Directors

JWB is governed by a Board comprised of 11 members: superintendent of schools, county commissioner, one public defender, state attorney, one juvenile court judge, and six members appointed by the governor.

Gubernatorial Appointee
Van Sayler
Chair

Gubernatorial Appointee
Joseph A. Smith
Vice Chair

Gubernatorial Appointee
John Milford
Secretary

Juvenile Court Judge
Honorable Irene Sullivan

Pinellas County Commission Honorable Kenneth T. Welch

School Superintendent
Dr. Clayton Wilcox

State Attorney
Honorable Bernie McCabe

Public Defender
Honorable Bob Dillinger


Gubernatorial Appointee
Beth S. Wilson

Gubernatorial Appointee
Janet Caramello

Steven Barefield
[e-mail]

Trudie Root
[e-mail]

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Phone:[phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Kathy Helmuth
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Ed Cunningham
[e-mail]

[e-mail]

Safe Start/JWB
Judith Simpson
727-547-5666
[e-mail]

[e-mail]
TEL: [phone]
FAX:[phone]
[e-mail]


Pat Gehant at
TEL: [phone]
FAX:[phone]
[e-mail]

Helping Children and Youth Succeed
Corene Collins
727-547-5662
[e-mail]

debra bremer
phone:[phone]
[e-mail]

Jennie Edwards
727-547-5670
[e-mail]

Whitlock, Dorothy, CAS
553-4737
[e-mail]


Peter Schwarz
[e-mail]

Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]

Wendy Antonio
[e-mail]

Fiscal Agent Contact
Janet Chapman
Pinellas County School Readiness Coalition
6698 68th Avenue North
Suite A
Pinellas Park,FL 33781
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Ricciardi, Danielle H.
Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
[e-mail]


Important meeting to protest FCP and privitized child welfare ...
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.support.child-protective-services/browse_frm/thread/4752e9ad40161db0/34fb3fc5bf5eb612?q=[e-mail]%22#34fb3fc5bf5eb612


Child welfare official upsets gay advocates
Miami Herald, FL - 4 hours ago
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/11077179.htm

Homosexual Groups Demand Apology From Florida Juvenile Welfare ...
Cybercast News Service
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5Carchive%5C200503%5CCUL20050307b.html

Comments Upset Advocacy Groups
The Ledger, FL - 1 hour ago
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050308/NEWS/503080375/1004

Gay groups demanding an apology for 'attack'
St. Petersburg Times, FL - Mar 7, 2005
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/03/07/Southpinellas/Gay_groups_demanding_.shtml

National Gay and Lesbian Organizations Respond to Defamatory ...
Common Dreams - 19 hours ago
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0307-07.htm

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http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/03/030705flaYouth.htm

Google News Search:
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Get the latest news on Pinellas County Juvenile with Google Alerts.
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[Meeker Morgan]

1. So. The gay == pedophile slur yet again!

From a public official concerned with "youth".

:mad: :puke: