Re: To W. (was: My observation)

[Guest guest]

gary williams wrote:

original article:/group/12-step-free/?start=8395

> Hi. Would you mind telling me on what legal grounds you were able to

recind

> the order to attend AA.? Very important stuff to my way of thinking.

Thank

> you

> very much.

>

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Hi . My pleasure to respond.

I am employed by a state transportation agency. The EAP

counselors who ordered me into 12-step treatment, with concurrent AA

attendance requirements, are managerial employees of the agency, and

the " hospital " providing the " treatment " is paid out of agency funds.

This means, quite simply, that the state (of New York) was forcing me

to participate in 12-step instruction and activities, and tax dollars

were paying for it.

There have been several Federal district court rulings in recent

years that since AA/NA philosophy is " unequivocally religious " , that

states may not require attendance and participation in 12-step

programs, and tax moneys may not be spent to promote this religious

dogma. For some odd reason, the rulings have to be made separately in

each federal district.

Fortunately, I live in an area covered by the 2nd Circuit which

has already made such a ruling. I was lucky to be able to retain one

of the attorneys who was involved in the original case that resulted in

the ruling for this district. When my agency's attorneys realized what

they were up against, they slithered away with their tails between

their legs and settled out of court. There is no money settlement

involved in such cases; it is a fight for principles embodied in our

great First Amendment.

Here are the two cases affecting a large geographical region of

the Northeast:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/ny/ctap/I96_0137.htm

http://www.tourolaw.edu/2ndCircuit/May97/95-7055.html

I would really like to see the number of districts ruling in favor

of freedom-of-thought in alcohol/drug recovery increase until the whole

nation is free from forced Stepping.

~Rita

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> > Snipped

>

> > for a period of a year, at least once a month. I have been singled

out

> > for continued and intensified recheck testing, for the SOLE reason

that

> > I will not attend AA. (I successfully sued for the right to stop

> > attending.)

>

> snipped

>

>