[NYTr] Dem leaders accused of homophobia to be deposed

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Steven L. Robinson -activ--l

PageOneQ - Jan 2, 2008
http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/dnclawsuit_010208.html

DNC officials agree to be deposed in discrimination lawsuit

by Nick Langewis

According to documents obtained by PageOneQ, a series of senior
Democratic National Committee officials have agreed to be deposed in an
ongoing discrimination lawsuit by former LGBT outreach director Donald
Hitchcock. Those to provide sworn testimony include chairman Howard
Dean, openly gay treasurer Andy Tobias, and Gay and Lesbian Leadership
Council executive Director Brian Bond.

The suit charges that a campaign of infighting, discrimination and
retaliation led to the illegal firing of Hitchcock after his partner,
former Clinton appointee Paul Yandura, criticized the Party for what he
claimed was a lack of support for LGBT causes, especially on the issue
of defeating anti-gay ballot measures.

Hitchcock was fired less than a week after Yandura's criticisms became
public. According to Hitchcock, the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council,
of which he became the director in June of 2005, was created
specifically to raise funds from LGBT supporters. The Party, he says,
had no interest in being politically involved in LGBT issues otherwise.

The lawsuit charges that Hitchcock was paid less than his counterparts
in comparable positions, while never receiving staff support or a
budget. According to FEC records, his bi-weekly pay was $2,156, while
the other directors were paid $2,508. The suit also says that
Hitchcock, before his firing, was held personally responsible by Ms.
Tagen for, and threatened over, Mr. Yandura's statements about the
Democratic Party. Dean, Tobias and Tagen, Hitchcock charges, began
spreading rumors within the Party in an attempt to discredit him, he
claimed.

"The DNC does not comment on pending litigation," DNC General Counsel
Joe Sandler said this morning.

Hitchcock's suit called for monetary damages, leaving the amount to be
determined by a jury, along with the retraction of public statements
made by Dean and Tobias directly related to his firing over supposedly
poor job performance. Brian Bond, the executive director of the Gay and
Lesbian Leadership Council of the DNC, along with and the Council's
board chair, Claire Lucas, were issued subpoenas at the DNC Winter
Meeting last month, and are on the of those who have agreed to
voluntarily be deposed.

"I look forward shining light on the facts and discussing under oath the
circumstances of my employment and unfair termination from the DNC,"
Hitchcock told PageOneQ. "The community has already seen and felt the
prioritizing of raising money from our community by the DNC, and now
they will be exposed to the hard undeniable facts about the party's
disservice to the LGBT community via the discovery process."

Testimony will be given between January 7 and February 28.