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Kansas' state government has a lot to learn about equal employment opportunity
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By Mike Cuenca | June 22, 2004
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Two recent civil rights cases highlight a frightening problem here in
Kansas: the offices that should be at the forefront of protecting the
civil rights of Kansas employees are themselves violating those civil
rights. Most disturbing to me, however, is that these cases also
highlight how some of the professional women here in Kansas who have
the most power to accelerate positive change in this state's record of
civil wrongs have remained silent or have actively helped maintain the
sexist status quo.
Jill Crumpacker, a former division director in the Kansas Department of
Human Resources, was awarded monetary damages by a jury in federal
court on Tuesday. The jury found that the state agency responsible for
the hiring of state employees had discriminated and retaliated against
her.
Last week, the dismissal of Dr. Cynthia Annett's
discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Equal Employment
Opportunity Office at KU was affirmed by the Tenth Circuit Court of
Appeals. Even though the court confirmed Dr. Annett's evidence of
discrimination and retaliation, and even acknowledged the falsity of
KU's justifications, they refused to let a jury decide the significance
of that evidence. The court, headed by Kansan Deanell Reece Tacha, was
affirming the employer-obliging, status quo-protecting dismissal by
Judge Julie Robinson (both of whom, coincidentally, are KU graduates.)
Crumpacker and Annett have courageously stood up to the widespread
strong support of the status quo that keeps most professional women
from ever realizing their full potential. That status quo impacts not
only individual professional women, but also the girls and young women
who lack sufficient numbers of role models and mentors who could be
there to help them fulfill their own potential.
Where is
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius? How can she stand by silently as these, and
many other men and women in Kansas struggle for equal opportunity? I
can confirm that she's been made aware of their plight and has been
asked for her help. And I can confirm that she's responded with
excuses. It's time for her at the very least to stand in solidarity
with the men and women of Kansas who are sacrificing their careers and
reputations to do what she should be leading.
There are only
two sides to the struggle for civil rights. The side of those who fight
for civil rights and the side of those who either remain silent or work
against the fight. When the next time comes to celebrate advances in
civil rights, let's honor these women who are actually on the right
side.
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