Press Releases

Logos of ACLU LAAW and Simpson Thacher

Female Athletes at Campbell High School in Hawai’i file federal civil rights lawsuit claiming unequal treatment of girls’ athletic programs

Class action lawsuit aims to end discrimination based on sex, stop illegal retaliation by school

HONOLULU: Today, two female student-athletes attending James Campbell High School (“Campbell”) filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (“DOE”) and the Oahu Interscholastic Association (“OIA”). The lawsuit is brought under Title IX, also known as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, a federal law … Continue reading “Female Athletes at Campbell High School in Hawai’i file federal civil rights lawsuit claiming unequal treatment of girls’ athletic programs”

Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition Receives National Recognition, 6th Annual Awards Program Launched

San Francisco (August 29, 2018)— The National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW) presented a 2018 Achievement Award to the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women and its partners in the Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition, including the Department of Public Health and Legal Aid at Work. “I am thrilled to receive this prestigious … Continue reading “Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition Receives National Recognition, 6th Annual Awards Program Launched”

Female Athletes Reach Agreement with Baldwin Park Unified School District in Title IX Case

(Baldwin Park, CA) – Sierra Vista High School in the Baldwin Park Unified School District has agreed to important changes that will level the playing field by providing equal athletic opportunities, treatment and benefits for its female athletes. Title IX requires gender equity in education, including in athletics.  Although Title IX has been the law … Continue reading “Female Athletes Reach Agreement with Baldwin Park Unified School District in Title IX Case”

ICE Agent

LAAW, Joined by Prominent Attorneys and Immigrants’ Rights Advocates, Seeks a Statewide Rule Barring Courthouse Immigration Arrests in California

SAN FRANCISCO (August 1, 2018) —Legal Aid at Work, joined by former Presidents of the California State Bar, retired judges, dozens of civil and immigrants’ rights groups, law professors, and many others, has applied for a proposed statewide courthouse rule that would block immigration agents from arresting persons for civil immigration violations in California’s courtrooms. … Continue reading “LAAW, Joined by Prominent Attorneys and Immigrants’ Rights Advocates, Seeks a Statewide Rule Barring Courthouse Immigration Arrests in California”

Second labor trafficking lawsuit against Walter and Carolyn Schumacher and their businesses filed by former “cross-cultural exchange” workers

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (June 15, 2018) — Workers recruited from Jamaica and other countries to work in hospitality businesses in Oklahoma on the J-1 exchange visitor visa program filed a federal labor trafficking lawsuit today, alleging they were induced to pay high recruitment fees and then paid less money than they had been promised, denied … Continue reading “Second labor trafficking lawsuit against Walter and Carolyn Schumacher and their businesses filed by former “cross-cultural exchange” workers”

Statement of Joan Graff on the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis

The U.S. Supreme Court today issued a stunning decision, taking away the ability of workers to band together collectively to enforce their workplace rights. It did so by upholding the legality of “mandatory arbitration” clauses with class action waiver provisions. These provisions allow employers to circumvent the courts by forcing workers into closed-door proceedings where the deck is … Continue reading “Statement of Joan Graff on the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis”

LAAW Lawsuit Exposes Vulnerabilities of Resident Managers: When Asking for Wages Effectively Leads to Your Eviction

San Francisco (March 21, 2018) — In San Francisco’s astronomically expensive housing market, legislators and housing activists have worked hard to prevent unjust evictions of low-income tenants. However, there is one group of people who can be left surprisingly unprotected: live-in resident managers whose bosses are also their landlords. When resident managers are fired, they … Continue reading “LAAW Lawsuit Exposes Vulnerabilities of Resident Managers: When Asking for Wages Effectively Leads to Your Eviction”

Assemblyman Ting with Joan Graff Woman of the Year 2018

LAAW President Joan Graff Receives “Woman of the Year” Award at State Capitol

(Sacramento, CA) – During the State Assembly’s Woman of the Year celebration at the State Capitol today, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) honored attorney Joan Messing Graff for her half-century-long fight for equality and economic justice in the workplace. “The breadth of Joan’s work in fighting for low-wage workers is truly remarkable,” said Ting. “She … Continue reading “LAAW President Joan Graff Receives “Woman of the Year” Award at State Capitol”

LAAW Program Supporting Parents in the Workplace Receives Prestigious $300,000 Grant from the Aspen Institute

San Francisco (February 21, 2018) — Legal Aid at Work (LAAW) has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Aspen Institute to assist low-income working parents.  The grant was given in recognition of LAAW’s status as one of the six “boldest” organizations in the country supporting the economic security of working families. While California and … Continue reading “LAAW Program Supporting Parents in the Workplace Receives Prestigious $300,000 Grant from the Aspen Institute”