Dan Savage excerpts the complaint against the repulsive Sonoma County hospital administrators who committed that horrible injustice to gay seniors Harold Scull and Clay Greene. Catch the last line. Above is a screencap I've done of the litany of charges.On or about June 28 and continuing through August 2008, Defendants ACV, DILLINGHAM, COUNTY, LIEDHOLM, STAGG-HOURIGAN, BREWSTER, and others and each of them, did not allow Plaintiff GREENE access to [Harold Scull], his partner of 25 years, who was terminally ill. On or about June 28 and continuing through August 2008, Defendants ACV, DILLINGHAM, COUNTY, LIEDHOLM, STAGG-HOURIGAN, BREWSTER, and others and each of them, falsely imprisoned Plaintiff GREENE, keeping him behind a locked gate at Defendant ACV's premises and restricting and limiting his movements and communications with his friends, family, and the general public.... Plaintiff was put in fear of physical harm, was and felt intimidated and attacked, and remains fearful that he will be chased down and locked up again. On or about August, 2008, Defendants MICHAEL BREWSTER and KAREN STAGG-HOURIGAN, as employees of the COUNTY acting in their official capacities... did disparage and demean Plaintiff GREENE in his presence and in the presence of others, making and/or ratifying derogatory references to Plaintiff GREENE's sexual orientation and age, stating "you know how those 'gay boys' are"... After [Harold Scull's] death, Defendants BREWSTER and STAGG-HOURIGAN further expressed displeasure at dealing with expressions of grief by a gay man who had lost his long-time partner.The full complaint is here. (PDF) Meanwhile JMG reader Rick, suspecting that this abuse was the work of evangelicals, uncovered this little biography of the wife of defendant Michael Brewster.
Leilani Brewster grew up in San Jose, CA and graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Business Administration. She is happily married to Michael Brewster, a Deputy Conservator for Sonoma County. Leilani has held a variety of jobs, one of which was volunteering at San Jose Juvenile Hall as Assistant Chaplain. Her aim was to enhance the lives of the young people she counseled. She did this for 10 years. Leilani’s motto for her life: “As a Christian, I take seriously the commandment to love God and to love my neighbor as myself.” This belief motivates her to help and encourage people. When she lived in San Jose, she distributed the neighborhood newsletter. This allowed her to get to know her neighbors and as the years went by, watched all of the neighborhood children grow up. Her interests now include membership in an ecumenical Bible Study group numbering 300 women. She enjoys meeting women of different faiths and viewpoints.Not surprising in the least.
Labels: California, gay seniors, lawsuits, LGBT rights, religion
There have been a flurry of postings online that indicate an elderly couple was treated inhumanly by the County of Sonoma, but few people have questioned where this report came from, or whether there was another side to the story.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that the Plaintiffs in this lawsuit are trying to litigate this case through the internet– trying to spin the case as one of insensitivity towards people who are gay by County Staff. In fact, this case is really about domestic violence and the statutory obligation the County has to protect vulnerable individuals from abuse and harm.
The Sonoma County Public Guardian became involved in this matter as a result of a report from Harold Scull that Clay Greene had physically assaulted him, resulting in Mr. Scull's hospitalization. Mr. Greene's domestic violence against Mr. Scull has been independently verified during the course of litigation, including reports of witnesses who tended to Mr. Scull following his hospitalization.
The people involved have been vilified online. We are confident that the facts will show that the services received by Mr. Scull and Mr. Greene reflect the ongoing commitment to protect vulnerable citizens from harm and that no issues of discrimination were present
The heart of this case is protecting an elder victim of domestic violence. That’s why the Public Guardian’s Office took the actions it did. The County has a long history of taking a strong stand against domestic violence.
If you are interested in hearing another side to this story, I hope you will take a look at a NY Times story at: http://nyti.ms/bu8QDq. Or better yet, wait until the facts can be disclosed in trial.