Florida NOW

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s decision to grant full clemency to Cyntoia Brown was the right thing to do, but it doesn’t erase the injustice she endured.  The criminalization of the trauma she suffered as a victim of sex trafficking and abuse is reprehensible and unacceptable.

Cyntoia Brown was 16 when she was trafficked to a man who hit her, choked her, and dragged her across the floor.  When she thought he was reaching for a gun, the teenager shot her abuser. For this action, she was tried as an adult, then convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison – with the possibility of parole only after serving 51 years behind bars.

Tennessee’s parole board gave the governor a split recommendation, with some on the panel recommending early release and others suggesting she stay in prison until she was 69 years old.  Questions need to be asked about the state of justice in Tennessee, and how the legal system fails victims of abuse and trafficking like Cyntoia Brown.

Because of a PBS documentary and vocal support from high-profile celebrities who rallied to her cause, Cyntoia Brown’s case received plenty of attention in the public spotlight. However, countless other young women languish in prisons for similar reasons, without the benefit of superstar endorsement.  

Cyntoia Brown completed her GED and got a college degree while in prison, and she has said she hopes to start a nonprofit to pursue social justice issues.  Her dedication to this cause is inspiring, and her voice and experience will have a tremendous impact.

NOW applauds Gov. Haslam for listening to our demands – along with the demands of thousands of other advocates – to award Cyntoia Brown a full commutation. However, this story of injustice does not end in August when Cyntoia walks out of prison. The National Organization for Women, the people of Tennessee, and concerned citizens everywhere need to demand an end to the criminalization of trauma, especially towards women and girls of color. Only when we see an end to sex trafficking and violence against women and girls will justice be served.

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NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – An alarming rise in “personhood” laws – including a new focus on beyond-the-pale criminal prosecution of pregnant women- is opening up a dangerous new front in the far-right’s attack on reproductive rights.  As an editorial series in the New York Times described:

“These criminal statutes are results of a tried-and-true playbook, part of a strategic campaign to establish fetal rights, reverse Roe v. Wade and recriminalize abortion. The sequence begins with anti-abortion groups seizing upon a tragic case in which a woman loses her pregnancy because of someone else’s actions. Public outcry then helps to strengthen a state feticide law that recognizes such lost pregnancies as murder or manslaughter. It’s a backdoor way of legally defining when life begins.”

Some activists behind fetal protection laws see them as a vehicle for overturning Roe v. Wade.  With Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, rulings that strike down Roe and prop up “personhood” laws could be just around the corner.

It is beyond irony that Donald Trump and his allies in the states fiercely oppose an Equal Rights Amendment for women, and now want to shred our Constitution to grant personhood status to the fetus.

The National Organization for Women has always been on the front lines of defending women’s rights, including abortion rights, and in empowering women to protect themselves from institutions and powerful elites that seek to oppress and discriminate against us. NOW will continue to oppose laws and policies that elevate a constitutionally indefensible notion of fetal personhood and threaten the health and dignity of women.

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NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has revoked the “Rethink Discipline” guidelines, issued during the Obama administration, which reminded schools of their responsibility to address racial discrimination in school discipline.  Without these guardrails, schools can continue to funnel minority students into the “school to prison pipeline,” which removes students from public schools and places them in the criminal justice system, often for minor infractions or contrived offenses pertaining to their “attitude,” their clothes, hairstyle, or the trauma they’ve experienced.

This is the latest example of how Betsy DeVos—and Donald Trump—want to retool the federal government into an instrument of shredding civil rights, rather than protecting them.  The effect will be to further marginalize the already marginalized and criminalize the too-often criminalized students of color.

Students of color are more likely to have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse, or neglect.  They need caring and culturally competent teachers, a safe learning environment and comprehensive counseling and mental health services. Instead, under Betsy DeVos’ cruel plan, they will be further isolated, punished, and denied the opportunity to continue their education.

NOW calls on Secretary DeVos to cancel her unwarranted, unjustified and racially discriminatory guidance and stop using minority students as political pawns in Donald Trump’s politics of division.  Our public schools are the backbone of our civil society and students should feel safe, respected, and valued as they strive to learn.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669