Episodes
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
On today’s show, I welcome Steve Oross and Lorrie McKinley to the show.
Steve Oross is an Associate Professor of psychology at Kutztown University and as listeners of this show will recall, in Fall 2021 Steve Oross was denied ADA accommodations by Kutztown University’s administration. Oross had a heart transplant in February 2021. Following months of physical therapy and treatment, his doctors cleared him to return to work in Fall 2021 provided that he taught his classes online given that COVID was still rampant and would pose a significant risk to his life. Rather than providing Oross with accommodations, the administration said the only way they would allow him to return to work would be if he taught in-person. Rather than risk his life or being forced to go on unpaid leave pr losing his job, Oross decided to fight. Thanks to his determination and the amazing advocacy of his attorney, Lorrie McKinley, Oross won his case. Steve’s experience has led him to wider spheres of advocacy as well.
Steve is a Team Member with the World Health Network focusing on Legal Action for Policy Change. He has also become involved in the Organ Donation Awareness Corporation which is a student-led organ donation advocacy group with chapters in NYC and Nashville, Tennessee, involving other students from around the country. He will be participating in a series of webinars with this group focused on promoting organ donation among young adults.
Lorrie McKinley, is one of the few lawyers in the Philadelphia area with undisputed expertise in both employment law and special education advocacy and litigation. She is a passionate, bold and creative advocate with a long track record of protecting the civil rights of employees and students under the nation’s civil rights law at every level of the state and federal courts.
Lorrie is widely recognized for her contributions in the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as well as her advocacy on behalf of children with special needs.
Prior to entering private practice in 1997, Lorrie served as Project Head for the Employment Law Project at Community Legal Services, Inc. in Philadelphia. In 1997 she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving constitutional due process issues for people receiving medical benefits pursuant to the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act. Her work in that case is highlighted in an exhibit in the Supreme Court Section of the United States Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
For over a decade, Lorrie has been selected by her peers as one of the “Best Lawyers in America.” Since 2008, she has also been listed as a “Super Lawyer” by Thompsons Reuters based on peer recognition and professional achievement.
LINKS:
- Oross v. Kutztown University | https://casetext.com/case/oross-v-kutztown-univ
- McKinley & Ryan, LLC | https://www.mckinleyryan.com/
- "Kutztown professor with heart transplant should have been able to teach from home, judge says," Susan Snyder, The Phildadelphia Inquirer | https://bit.ly/49PcBNL
- Out d'Coup LIVE | Steve Oross - Kutztown U Demands Faculty Member to Choose Between Life and Livelihood, Sept. 6, 2021 | https://bit.ly/3h9EuqZ
- Disability Rights PA | https://www.disabilityrightspa.org/
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to https://www.patreon.com/rcpress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to https://www.patreon.com/rcpress.
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Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
On today’s show, we'll get into a little news tonight. We had Kathryn Joyce on the show this past Friday, so we're swapping our Monday for a news roundup. What's on your mind?
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to https://www.patreon.com/rcpress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to https://www.patreon.com/rcpress.
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Friday Feb 16, 2024
Friday Feb 16, 2024
On today’s episode, I welcome Kathryn Joyce to the program. We'll be talking about her recent article in Vanity Fair, "How the Far Right Took Over a Pennsylvania School Board - And How Parents Took It Back." Yes, we're talking about the Pennridge School Board and the unexpected and game-changing victory by the Pennridge Community Alliance candidates this past fall that flipped five open seats on the board.
Kathryn Joyce is an investigative editor at In These Times, a freelance investigative reporter, and the author of two books: The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking and the New Gospel of Adoption and Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement.
Kathryn was formerly a reporter with Type Investigations and Salon, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and a contributing writer at Highline. Her work has also appeared in numerous publications including Mother Jones, The Marshall Project, Longreads, The New York Times Magazine, Vox, The American Prospect, The Intercept, The Nation, Cosmopolitan, Adirondack Life, The Atlantic, Ms., The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and many others.
She is formerly the editor of Political Research Associates’ quarterly magazine The Public Eye, and teaches as an adjunct lecturer in Brooklyn College’s political science department.
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.
Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
On today’s show, you probably already heard the news. Taylor Swift won the Super Bowl. Yup, that's what happened. Meanwhile, our democracy continues to deteriorate and our collective politics get more unhinged. All the more reason to get with the people in your communities and continue to organize on principles of care.
What's on your mind? Would love to know.
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.
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Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
On today’s show, we’re taking a break from our focus on PA and head north to the Central New York region…yes, the place I grew up. We’ll be talking to James Meyers, a Democrat running for the New York State Senate in the 53rd District. The 53rd is significantly different following New York’s redistricting in 2022. The district now includes my hometown of Utica, NY. Meyers hopes to defeat Republican Joseph Griffo in this fall’s general election.
Meyers is running for the 53rd New York State Senate District with the aim of bringing a fresh approach to representing Central New Yorkers in their state government. He is a veteran with a strong background in service and leadership. Meyers grew up in a working-class environment in Upstate New York in a family who dedicated their professional lives to the service of others. After graduating from SUNY Brockport via an ROTC scholarship with a degree in history, he accepted a commission into active service as an intelligence officer in the United States Army. He currently holds the rank of Major in the Army Reserve.
While serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, he earned a master’s degree in strategic intelligence. His military service led to a position with Alion Science and Technology, a government contracting firm in Rome, NY where he was responsible for the management and completion of million-dollar projects. His love for central New York, the influence of his family, his education, military career and civilian experience, James is motivated to serve our community with the same passion and dedication he has and continues to serve our country.
Meyers is running on a platform of transparency, accountability, and putting the needs of his constituents first. He is an advocate for public safety, economic development, and accessible and affordable healthcare.
LINKS:
- James Meyers for State Senate webpage: https://www.james-meyers.com/
- Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeyersforNY
- Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meyersforstatesenate
- Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meyersforsenate
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.
Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Monday Jan 29, 2024
On today’s show, we're throwing off the blankets and diving into 2024. What's happening in your neck of the woods?
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.
Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
On tonight’s show, I welcome Ashli Giles-Perkins and Adrienne King to the show. Ashli is a staff attorney with the Education Law Center and Adrienne King is the President and Founder of the PairUp Society and a parent of two children in the Pennridge School district. Today we’ll be talking about the discrimination complaint against the Pennridge School Districts filed with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
The complaint charges that the Pennridge School District has discriminated against LGBTQ+ students and students of color in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972. We’ll talk about what all that means and the history of ongoing and systemic discrimination in the districts. And, we’ll talk about what the election of a new school board majority may mean for how this complaint addressed.
Ashli Giles-Perkins joined the Philadelphia office of the Education Law Center in October 2020 as an Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellow. Ashli’s work centers on addressing the significant educational injustices for youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in the Philadelphia area who enter, reside in, and leave residential facilities. Ashli provides representation of students and families, training for families and communities, and significant outreach to stakeholders to ensure oversight, accountability, and access to quality education for system-involved youth.
Originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, Ashli graduated with a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law with a certificate in child & family law, as well as with an M.Ed. in cultural educational policy studies from Loyola Chicago’s School of Education. While at Loyola, Ashli interned with Advocates for Children of New York and the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
Adrienne King is a wife, mother of two daughters in the Pennridge School District, and an outspoken leader and advocate in the community. Adrienne founded The PairUP Society , a 501c3 non-profit organization after experiencing difficulties in her children's school district and realizing the difficulties of navigating that system for her and other underrepresented students and their families. The PairUp Society helps build community among underrepresented students and their families and provide them with resources to advocate for their needs while also activating allies to provide support.
Adrienne holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh, MS in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs from Temple University and leadership certifications from Duke University and Cornell University. Adrienne and her family currently reside in Perkasie, PA where she is committed to putting roots down in their community and doing the work to create a sense of psychological safety, belonging and inclusion for all community members
LINKS
- Education Law Center | https://www.elc-pa.org/
- The PairUp Society | https://www.thepairupsociety.org/
- Civil Rights Complaint against Pennridge School District | https://bit.ly/3RBZCZB
- WHYY article on the Civil Rights complaint | https://bit.ly/4agzU47
- "Civil RIghts Complaint Filed Against Pennridge School District," Jenny Stephens, Bucks County Beacon | https://bit.ly/3NnFbNH
- "Understanding OCR complaints, like in the Pennridge School District, and their role to ensure equal access to high-quality public education," Jenny Stephens, Bucks County Beacon | https://bit.ly/3GBhHAP
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.
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Monday Nov 13, 2023
Monday Nov 13, 2023
On this episode, I'll be talking with Jennifer Cohn about her article "Moms for Liberty and the Dominionist Assault on America's 'Education Mountain'," published in the Bucks County Beacon. Cohen unmasks the extremist, Christian nationalist agenda shared by Moms for Liberty and organizations on the radical Christian right. We'll also talk about significant losses by Moms for Liberty-backed school board candidates in this November's elections - both here in PA and across the country. Does this signal the beginning of the end of Moms for Liberty and Christian nationalists? Or, will they double-down on their radical agenda heading into the 2024 presidential election?
Jennifer Cohn is an attorney, election integrity advocate, and political essayist. In addition to writing on elections and Christian nationalism for the Bucks County Beacon, her writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Who What Why, The Independent, TYT Investigates, The Brad Blog, and Salon. You can follow Jennifer on the platform formally known as Twitter at @jennycohn1 and on Mastodon at jennycohn@toad.social.
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.
Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u
Monday Nov 06, 2023
Out d’Coup LIVE | Election Day Eve 2023. Deep breaths. Here we go.
Monday Nov 06, 2023
Monday Nov 06, 2023
It's Election Day Eve here in Pennsylvania. In Bucks County the future of our schools are at stake. Abortion rights are at stake. Our elections are at stake. Deep breaths everyone.
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.
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Monday Oct 30, 2023
Monday Oct 30, 2023
On this week's episode, I am talking with Kierstyn Zolfo from Bucks County Indivisible. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is getting lazy this Halloween. He's dressing up as a "moderate" once again. Trick or treat? We'll let you be the judge.
We'll be talking about her new article in the Bucks County Beacon, “Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s Support for New House Speaker Mike Johnson Shows Voters Who He Really Is.” In that piece, Kierstyn writes about how Fitz was selling the new Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, to the so-called “moderate” Problem Solvers Caucus and big donors tied to No Labels. Fitzpatrick went to lengths to help rebrand Johnson as a 'Reagan Republican' and tried to lend some of his "moderate" vibes to Johnson, who we all know is a MAGA extremist
Kierstyn Zolfo is a resident of Bucks County and a volunteer organizer with Indivisible Bucks County. She also serves on the steering committee of Pennsylvania Indivisible as the Legislative Chair, and in that position edits and contributes to the Pennsylvania Member of Congress Tracking report, an effort that keeps an eye on the votes and quotes from the Commonwealth's 20 Members of Congress. Kierstyn is originally from New Jersey but moved to PA when she was an undergrad at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster and has stuck around the area ever since.
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress.
Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u