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Catherine Read

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Virginia’s School to Prison Pipeline II – Inside Scoop

(Sept. 12, 2016) In the second show in a series on Virginia’s School to Prison Pipeline, Catherine Read explores the constitutional rights of children in school. Her guests include Juliet Hiznay, an attorney who has represented families with special needs children for many years; Melinda VanLowe, a trial attorney based in Fairfax who represents children engaged with the criminal justice system; and Leslie Mehta, Legal Director for the Virginia ACLU.

The show delves in to how Virginia became the #1 state in the nation for students referred to the criminal justice system. Data released by the Center for Public Integrity shows that of those children referred, African-American children and children with disabilities are disproportionately represented. Children with disabilities are referred at a rate of 33.4 per 1000 students despite the fact that they make up only 13.4% of the entire student population of Virginia.

Leslie Mehta of the Virginia American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) discusses a recent case filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on behalf of two students in the Richmond Public School System who are African-American and have intellectual disabilities. The treatment of these two students is indicative of a broken system of student discipline that the VA ACLU, the Richmond NAACP and the Richmond Legal Aid Justice Center want to see addressed and reformed.

Attorney Melinda VanLowe addresses how students and parents need to understand the fundamental rights of school children when being questioned by school administrators and school resource officers. They have the same Miranda rights as any person being questioned in a situation that could result in criminal charges. Ms. VanLowe suggests children be advised by their parents not to answer questions or allow a search of their belongings until they have spoken to their parent or guardian. She also suggests parents seek the advice of an attorney even when school personnel are telling them “it’s not necessary.”

Juliet Hiznay discusses the negative impact of the “Zero Tolerance Policy” ushered into the public school system with the best of intentions that has resulted in an escalation of school discipline problems into criminal justice referrals. The numbers in Virginia are staggering, with over 700 disciplinary referrals per school day, and 20% of those school suspensions affecting elementary school children. Ms. Hiznay also highlights a private consulting company that actually trains school personnel in the interrogation of school children.  These widely accepted ideas are creating school environments that mirror far to closely those of a prison.

The vast majority of Virginians would not believe that their state could top this list nationwide of children being referred to the criminal justice system. Most adults have a limited knowledge of their own school system and what goes on there. This is where research, data collection and identification of patterns and practices becomes vital in understanding a pervasive problem that is not immediately evident.

Inside Scoop will continue with this series on Virginia’s School to Prison Pipeline as we follow what local, state and national agencies are doing to address and resolve the root causes of this culture shift that is impacting the futures of school children across the Commonwealth.

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Supporting LGBTQ Students – Back to School 2016

(Aug. 22, 2016) Catherine Read examines the challenges facing LGBTQ students as they prepare to return to school in September. Recent cases regarding transgender bathroom policies in Fairfax County, Gloucester County, Stafford County and Grayson County have left Virginia students and families with a great deal of anxiety.

In the first segment, Pat Hynes of the Fairfax County School Board outlines the policies put into place in FCPS school policy recognizing sexual orientation and gender identity as categories that join others as being protected from discriminatory treatment. She discusses the goals of the school board to protect the rights, privacy and safety of some of the most vulnerable students in our schools – transgender children.

Robert Rigby joins Catherine in the second segment to discuss the organization he founded to meet the needs of LGBT teachers, “FCPS Pride.” As an out gay teacher, he has sought to provide information and support for other teachers and school staff, and that effort has now grown to include many more people in the community. Robert has become a key organizer in galvanizing support among many interested constituencies in the fight for stronger protections for the LGBTQ student population in Fairfax County and beyond.

In the third segment, Marianne Vakiener, an LGBT Ally and parent of two FCPS graduates, talks about her support for better education on human sexuality that goes back to the 1970s. As a tutor and educator, Marianne has spent decades in front of students teaching them many things in addition to academics. As a Unitarian Universalist, she teaches a program called “Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Eduction” (OWL) that includes accurate information about the LGBTQ community. She has great stories to tell that illustrate the challenges faced by students on a daily basis.

Bianca Rey, a trans advocate, joins Catherine in the final segment of the show. Originally from the Philippines and educated there, Bianca talks about her transition as a child and how she was supported by her school and her family. She lives in Northern Virginia, has a job, recently became an American citizen and is in a supportive relationship. She is party of the Equality Virginia Transgender Advocacy Speakers Bureau and is available to speak to groups who are interested in knowing more about issues related to the transgender community.

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Virginia Coalition for Racial Diversity in the Justice System

(Feb 29, 2016) Virginia is one of only a few states where legislators select judges. Across the Commonwealth there is a startling lack of diversity in judges. Those who sit on the bench do not represent the make-up of the communities where they preside. Joining Catherine Read to talk about the selection of judges in Virginia are Justin Fairfax of the Virginia Coalition for Racial Diversity in the Justice System, Ann N. Luu of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and Karen Turner McWilliams, Past President of the Association of Black Women Attorneys.

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Transgender Non-Discrimination Policy – Inside Scoop

Catherine Read discusses the issues affecting the transgender community here in Virginia with guests James Parrish, Executive Director of Equality Virginia; Rev. Emma Chattin of Metropolitan Community Church; Roxanne Edwards, Co-Founder of Second Fridays and Fourth Fridays; Sara Simone of Fairfax; and Laura Curtis and her transgender teen Nathan. Topics range from business leadership on trans issues to school policies, legislative goals, the upcoming TIES Conference in October, and ongoing support for Virginia’s Trans Community. The path forward means codifying policies at the state and federal level that protect the transgender and gender non-conforming communities from discrimination in employment, housing, education and medical care.

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Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son

Raising My Rainbow(July 1, 2014) “Children are desperate to know that they are loved and accepted by their parents. You need to make the decision that your child’s happiness and safety is totally unrelated to his sexual orientation. The one place that kids cannot be afraid is in their homes.” – Judy Shepard, co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

A wonderful book that should be read by every educator and anyone else who works with children. And parents. Definitely parents. I listened to the audiobook which was read by its author, Lori Duron. The book is based on her blog of the same name, “Raising My Rainbow.” It chronicles her journey with her gender non-conforming son CJ, his older brother Chase, her husband Matt, and their extended family and friends. She started the blog when she discovered in her extensive Google search that there was no information out there about pre-school boys who preferred all things girly. 

It’s heartbreaking at points as she helps her son Chase navigate relentless bullying at school because of his younger brother’s perceived sexual orientation. She describes how he handled a situation on the playground at the age of 7 when another child observed that his 4 year old brother liked to play with “girl toys.” His response was, “Yeah. He’s gender non-conforming.” And he went on with his play. Lori observes, “The bullies, predators, haters and gossips in life move in circles. They sniff out the smallest scent of fear and strike. When there is no fear, those people lose their power. Their power goes back to the rightful owner.” 
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Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender and the End of Normal

GAGA Feminism(Oct. 22, 2012) This is a GREAT book! The author is a well respected academic who has also published as Judith Halberstam. A must read on so many levels because it is more than just about feminism. It’s about gender politics and why we need to rethink some of the institutions and ideas that really aren’t working for the vast majority of us. I heard about this book in a presentation at George Mason University (part of the annual Fall for the Book) by Dean Spade, author of Normal Life (who is quoted in this book.)

Gender politics affect all of us and this is a good primer for reorienting our thinking by shifting our paradigm. It’s hard to see what isn’t there yet – especially when the view is blocked by what is familiar and accepted in our minds. It has opened my eyes to what our larger goals should be – especially when it comes to rights that are conferred simply because of an institutional construction called marriage. I highly recommend this!

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A Straight Ally: Traveling the Road toward Equality

Pride Flag The Highline NYC(Sept. 22, 2012) On Monday evening at Oakton High School, I’m sitting on a panel: Being a Straight Ally for Equality to talk about what it means to advocate for LGBT issues as an openly heterosexual person. The event moderator, Christopher Schaffer, asked me to send him a bio that he could read to introduce me to the audience.  This made me stop and think: What could I say about my journey from birth to “straight ally?”  Surely none of us are born playing that role.  At what point did I become a staunch outspoken activist for LGBT rights?

When I was in 8th grade, my parents split and my sister and I ended up Vinton, VA, with our mom (that’s in Roanoke County.)  My first day of school at William Byrd Middle School, in my first period Algebra I class, a boy named Gareth asked me if I was new, where I lived and where I came from. He was part of a close knit group of boys also in that same class who would become my life long friends. I met Gareth, Wayne, Jay, Stu, Monty, Keith and Jeff in August of 1975 and I consider them the family of my heart.  Three of them are gay.

Wm Byrd HS Brain Boys 1978Back in high school, gay people did not roam the halls in all their awesome gayness assured of acceptance by understanding teachers, administrators and students. We did not have GLEE, Modern Family or Ellen to model what it meant to be gay in America in the 1970s. Gay students were afraid. They lived in fear of others finding out.  My best friend Jeff – to this day I still consider him my best friend – shared that with me when he finally came out to me in our 30s. I couldn’t understand why Jeff didn’t tell me sooner – why he thought it would make a difference in our relationship.  But this is something I can never fully understand – I can never truly stand in his shoes and see the world the way he lived it in a hostile, unaccepting, homophobic world of Roanoke in the 1970s.Read More

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Marriage Equality – Standing on the Side of Love

(Feb. 14, 2012) Fairfax, VA. Valentine’s Day 2012 was a special one for Kären Rasmussen and Barb Brehm. They went to the Fairfax County Courthouse seeking a marriage license knowing full well they would be turned away. It was an opportunity to raise awareness about the fight for marriage equality in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

It’s a movement supported by many faith communities, including Unitarian Universalists, the faith community where Kären is a pastor. There were supporters there from People of Faith for Equality in Virginia (POFEV) and a number of other local organizations and churches.

Post Script: Kären and Barb, both retired Navy veterans, were legally married on Valentine’s Day in 2014 in Maryland after 27 years together as a couple. Virginia continues to move closer and closer to recognizing same sex marriage here in the Commonwealth.  Someday soon the state slogan will be “Virginia is for ALL Lovers!”