News — PERK

Important Press Release on LAUSD hearing from Facts Law Truth Justice

LEGAL TEAM PRESS RELEASE

December 15th, 2021

Major Victory for Students and Families as LAUSD Pushes Back Vaccination Deadline 

In a decision that will set the stage for how school districts around the country proceed with mandates, Los Angeles Unified School District voted this afternoon to wait until Fall 2022 to require students 12 and up to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION UPDATE

This morning Judge Beckloff, potentially in relation to the impending vote by LAUSD, issued his ruling in favor of LAUSD by denying the injunction.

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST LAUSD REMAINS IN PLACE

While the deadline extension represents a victory for the families of the 34,000 LAUSD students who may now stay in school until Fall of 2022, the lawsuit filed by FLTJ, CHD-CA and PERK against LAUSD will proceed as other aspects of LAUSD’s current policy remain contested. Unvaccinated students will still be prohibited from participating in extracurricular activities, such as science clubs, drill and athletics. They will also continue to have COVID testing requirements and mask mandates.

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PERK and Firefighters  First Responders Who Risk Their Lives Protecting the City File Lawsuit Against the City of Beverly Hills

Press Release:

PERK and Firefighters 

First Responders Who Risk Their Lives Protecting the City File Lawsuit Against the City of Beverly Hills 


Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK) and two individual firefighters, filed a LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS ON BEHALF OF MORE THAN 21 FIREFIGHTERS to stop the unlawful Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate.


For Immediate Release in Los Angeles, California, December 14, 2021-  On Dec. 10, 2021, Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK) on behalf of two dozen individual firefighters, filed a lawsuit against the City of Beverly Hills, Muntu Davis -the Health Officer of Los Angeles County, the City of Beverly Hills, and the County of Los Angeles, was filed on Friday Dec.10, 2021 in Los Angeles Superior Court. Attorneys Scott Street and Attorney John Howard represent the plaintiffs.  


The plaintiffs filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief and damages based on violations of civil rights, and a demand for a jury trial. The lawsuit declares that the mandate exceeds the county’s authority under state law, is unconstitutional, is a violation of privacy under the California State Constitution, and is a violation of the US. Constitution’s 1st amendment religious rights.


Plaintiffs PERK and Firefighters Josh Sattley, Ettore Berardinelli, Jr. allege that despite their essential, (and arguably courageous and heroic) efforts to protect and serve city residents during the entire pandemic, while others sheltered in place, these firefighters (including the unnamed firefighters) are now being required to take the vaccine –against their will– or lose their jobs!


Despite evidence of limited and waning effectiveness of the vaccines,  including the fact they don’t stop transmission, emergency authorization, and evidence of significant adverse effects, the City of Beverly Hills has demanded universal vaccinations for city employees.


The lawsuit also contends that the City of Beverly Hills has subjected Mr. Sattley and Mr. Berardinelli, and others firefighters, to extreme pressure when they requested religious exemptions, and that they put Mr. Sattley on unpaid leave, which is a violation of the Supreme Court’s decision in Skelly V. State Personnel, his right to due process, and rights under the state law Firefighter Bill of Rights.


This vaccine mandate is also a violation of their civil rights, and constitutional rights and constitutes religious discrimination under state and federal law.


Additionally, the Beverly Hills firefighters -like all Californians- have the right to bodily integrity and the right to refuse medical treatment, which the County and City’s Vaccine Mandate and actions violate.


PERK, a non-profit that advocates for civil rights issues, bodily autonomy and medical freedom is deeply concerned about the risks to the health and welfare and of children and families that are posed by the mandate, and is sponsoring and financially supporting the case, in addition to it’s lawsuits challenging vaccine mandates for Los Angeles County employees, for students of Los Angeles Unified School District, and students of Piedmont School District.


Public employees and first responders have already experienced segregation, harassment, discrimination and coercion based on their vaccination status. This has a serious impact on those firefighters, their families, co-workers, the fire department, city, county and the public at large. This type of coercion and intimidation by the City of Beverly Hills and County of Los Angeles has a deleterious and chilling effect on it’s residents.


Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids: PERK is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation headquartered in California whose mission is to advocate for medical freedom, bodily autonomy, children’s rights, parental rights, civil rights and protect children’s right to an education. PERK has over 15,000 members throughout California, consisting of public employees, first responders, and parents of children attending school, grades K through 12, in California. PERK has thousands of members with children attending school within LA County. Donate to support our efforts


Media Contact:

President of PERK

Amy Bohn

Perkgroupadmin@protonmail.com


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PERK & CHD-CA vs. LAUSD Lawsuit Update: Press Release

 Yesterday, Wednesday December 8, our legal team went to battle for our children, again, in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles.  They had filed a Motion for a Preliminary Injunction asking Judge Beckloff for an order stopping the District from enforcing its CV19 shot requirement on kids 12 and older in order to continue receiving in-person services and education because (i) school Districts in California do not have  legal authority to require new vaccines for children in order for them to attend school in person, and (ii) the potential harms of children being forced to do so or otherwise be denied access to in person learning and shunted into the City of Angel’s subpar, failing remote program are greater than any harm to the District of simply maintaining their current COVID-19 safety measures prior to the illegal vaccine mandate.  

The morning of the hearing, our attorneys, Jessica Barsotti, Rita Barnett-Rose, and Nicole Pearson were blindsided by a 14-page tentative – or an “initial” or “possible” – ruling from Judge Beckloff denying our request that he posted before the hearing. This did not deter our Warriors – it fueled their resolve and passion, and fortified their weapons – as they went to battle in the courtroom to break down Judge Beckloff’s ruling and explain why it was not appropriate under existing law, and would otherwise be irreparably harmful to our kids and California as a whole.  Attorneys Jessica Barsotti and Nicole Pearson did a fantastic job explaining to the Court why sending students to the City of Angels was not in any way equivalent to in-person education and services, and how allowing individual schools to mandate vaccines at the local level would set “extremely dangerous precedent.”

To his credit, Judge Beckloff was receptive to our attorneys’ arguments and inquiring and – after almost 2 hours of oral argument – stated that our attorneys had given him “pause” and “serious matters to think about.”  As a result, rather than rubber stamp his own 14-page initial ruling, he took it under submission and is still deciding how he should rule.

What does this mean for us and our children?  It means we pray.  We pray that Judge Beckloff continues to hear and remember our attorneys’ brilliant arguments, including how harmful it will be not to grant our request, and that he has the courage and resolve to sign an order granting our Motion, despite all the opposing forces and pressures he is certainly under.

Judge Beckloff did not give a specific deadline for his final ruling, however, we will keep you posted with next steps and updates as they arise.

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