LATINO LAWYERS TO SUE LAUSD.Byline: James Nash Staff Writer Two Mexican-American lawyers for the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. filed paperwork Wednesday to sue the district over what they called a pattern of discrimination in the LAUSD's Office of General Counsel. Jesus Estrada Melendez and Robert M. Cuen, two of the three Mexican- Americans in the 39-lawyer General Counsel's Office, said the reorganization and expansion of the office since 2001 has relegated Latinos to entry-level positions. They said they have the responsibilities of assistant general counsels, who are paid $140,100 a year, but they carry the job titles and $120,000 salaries of staff counsels. ``We sincerely believe that our ethnicity ethnicity Vox populi Racial status–ie, African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic is a substantial aspect of the situation we're in,'' Melendez said. ``The fact that there are no Latinos in middle management or upper management (of the General Counsel's Office) is a sign of (Superintendent Roy) Romer's disregard for diversity.'' The district's acting general counsel, Kevin Reed Kevin Bruce Reed (born May 7, 1955) is an American Presbyterian author, theologian, and publisher. Reed grew up in Dallas, Texas, and attended the Richardson, Texas public schools. , said the LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) is striving for a more diverse pool of lawyers but denied any discrimination against Melendez and Cuen. On Wednesday, Melendez and Cuen held a news conference before filing paperwork with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (or DFEH) is a branch of the California government intended to protect civil rights. It is the largest such agency in the United States, and enforces state anti-discrimination laws which pertain to housing, employment, public as a prerequisite pre·req·ui·site adj. Required or necessary as a prior condition: Competence is prerequisite to promotion. n. to suing the LAUSD. Melendez and Cuen said their lawsuit would seek back pay for the difference between the salaries of assistant general counsels and staff counsels. They said they are not asking for promotions. Reed, who has headed the LAUSD's legal team since June 30, said Melendez and Cuen were offered promotions to assistant general counsel, but Cuen turned down the offer rather than lose tenure he'd built up in his prior position. Melendez accepted the promotion, Reed said. Cuen said he was never formally offered a promotion; Melendez said he is in the new position temporarily and will return to his former classification next month. Reed, a candidate for the permanent general counsel position, said he is pushing to diversify diversify To acquire a variety of assets that do not tend to change in value at the same time. To diversify a securities portfolio is to purchase different types of securities in different companies in unrelated industries. the LAUSD's legal ranks but isn't setting specific benchmarks. ``The numbers aren't what I want them to be, but the numbers are consistent with the numbers you'd find at any major law firm or in the public sector,'' he said. James Nash, (818) 713-3722 james.nash(at)dailynews.com |
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