ABOUT THE LAWSUIT
PERK is honored to represent and support a lawsuit on behalf of the Five Educators and Teachers of Granada Hills Charter (GHC) that were unfairly terminated during the Covid-19 pandemic for simply exercising their rights to medical freedom and asking for religious and medical vaccine exemptions respectively.. They were the first teachers in the entire State of California and possibly the whole country terminated because of the covid vaccine mandate. Out of approximately 500 faculty and staff spread on two separate campuses, 5 employees were let go after being denied religious and medical based requests for accommodations. These experienced educators are not only effective in their subject areas and scope of service, but they gave their entire heart and soul to their students. Collectively, they made a positive impact on the lives of 1000s of students.
They have been stripped of their jobs at a time when the entire state was emerging from isolation. They are heartbroken to be thwarted from their lifelong careers. They pleaded for their jobs. They asked for accommodations that aligned with the Governor’s own requirements. They have been denied unemployment benefits. Their credentials are also in jeopardy as part of the discipline process for failure to comply with the school’s policy. They seek justice as their constitutional and basic human rights were completely trampled, disregarded, and not even acknowledged.
Granada Hills Charter School has been egregious in implementing illegal vaccination policies on four points. PERK was informed that the school excluded seniors from Prom, based solely on their vaccination status for Covid-19. Secondly, PERK learned that students, including seniors, were excluded from in person learning based on their vaccination status for Covid-19. Third, Granada Hills Charter School, went as far as to force students who were unvaccinated against Covid-19 into independent study. PERK has advocated for students and families at Granada Hills Charter School. Lastly, five educators were unfairly fired. These actions against students and educators were completely unreasonable, PERK has taken legal action against the school.
On Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, the Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK) and five individual educators filed a lawsuit against Brian Bauer, Executive Director of Granada Hills Charter High School (GH Charter) and GH Charter. The plaintiffs filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief, damages based on violations of civil rights, and requested a jury trial. Attorney John Howard and Attorney Scott Street from JW Howard Attorneys, LTD represent the PERK and the plaintiffs.
VICTORY IS ON THE HORIZON!
Based on recent legal victories in other similar cases, we believe there is a high chance of victory if the GHC case is taken to trial. PERK needs enough funds to take the case to trial, and if that happens, assuming victory, there would be a settlement to most importantly secure damages for the plaintiffs, recoup the legal fees PERK is covering, and with another medical freedom victory, positive change will be furthered in even a contentious state like California.
PERK’S FUNDING NEED
PERK’s need is to fundraise in order to take the GHC lawsuit to trial. Your donations will go towards the following: Legal fees to retain the lawyers, additional strategies, including raising public awareness on the issue, and costs associated to staff, and organize this effort. The case could potentially be tried for weeks in the courtroom.
$1 for $1 matching gift up to $175,000 will be matched by a generous anonymous donor by October 11!
Please donate at: https://give.perk-group.com/standwithourteachers
As donors, partners, and supporters who firmly believe in PERK’s mission, we urge you to donate immediately so we can continue litigating this case to settlement, trial, and secure another huge win. Not only will your dollars make an impact on the lives of the five teachers and educators who were wrongfully terminated, with a win, a new precedent is set in California, which can begin to shift the state towards true freedom.
This support and victory allows us to continue doing this important work across California, causing positive change for families, children, and freedom-lovers alike.
Fundraising is crucial for ongoing lawsuits and allows us to continue to fight for freedom and keep the PERK mission going. It is incredibly important to do so, especially in a state like California, that continues to threaten liberty and go against the people’s wishes.
Below is plaintiff, Laurie Peachey's statement:
"I was terminated from my job as a Purchasing Assistant at Granada Hills Charter School on October 15, 2021. Granada Hills was the first public school to fire employees like myself, and tenured faculty members in the state of California. I requested reasonable accommodations based on my sincerely held beliefs as a Christian, was denied twice and ultimately fired. Three challenging years later, I continue to defend my constitutional and civil rights. I am thankful, grateful, and blessed that PERK supports and believes in protecting and defending ordinary people like myself who wanted to stay employed but were not given the opportunity due to my faith."
Attorney Scott Street's statement:
“This is one of the most important civil rights cases in America. Granada Hills Charter did not even attempt to accommodate the plaintiffs’ religious beliefs. It fired them based on a misunderstanding of the facts and the law and, once it learned during discovery that it could have allowed them to continue working in person, it refused to take responsibility and changed to a scorched earth strategy designed to put the plaintiff’s beliefs on trial. The only way to hold GHC accountable, and to stop other employers from doing this, is to win this case at trial, as we hope and expect to do.”
HELP US CROSS THE FINISH LINE BY DONATING NOW
