Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 13

Bailey 'i: s'i' ''mo CC14264' '''k If I 4 i -4 a k' 011 Tuesday December 3 1996 seeking $11 million for lurch member Jayne Gard- eeking $678000 and Fox a former food ser- lirector at the church seek lost $16 million 2 District Judge Jeff Walk- ed a gag order yesterday attorneys and the par- the case not to discuss the lings or any aspect of the first of several civil suits ng from the allegations briefly questioned 60 jurors after they filled 3-page questionnaire that queries about their reli- nvolvement attitudes on ier sexual advances and as about Supreme Court Clarence Thomas' 1991 seeking $11 million church member Jayne seeking $678000 and Fox a former food director at the church almost $16 million District Judge Jeff a gag order yesterday attorneys and the the case not to discuss the filings or any aspect of the first of several civil suits from the allegations briefly questioned 60 jurors after they filled 13-page questionnaire that queries about their involvement attitudes on sexual advances and about Supreme Court Clarence Thomas' 1991 Star Telegram Section A Page 13 Senate confirmation hearing! spotlighting Anita Hill's allega-70 lions that he engaged in sexuall i A inappropriate conduct Lawyers are expected to qtKs': tion the jury panel today Walkyi said 12 jurors and two will hear the case If the trialli not finished by Dec 20 it will: recess for the holidays until JiirC-1 6 Walker said The outcome of the case coldd determine how the plaintiffs pm0 0 ceed with two separate suits Church 0 I in Austin against the Methodisi hierarchy -k 0 1 i Those suits which name Pitst 1 United Methodist Church ind 1 several Methodist governing bed- ies contend that officials werd negligent in not stopping Bailey's i alleged misconduct )nduct sortium with his wife VicklIo Brozovic The requests cover loss of earnings medical and psychological bills and general damages such as injury to reputation and mental anguish Vicki Jo Brozovic a former church member who alleges that Bailey gave her a church job to facilitate a sexual relationship has asked for $12 million In addition to actual damages the Brozovics are also seeking $3 million in punitive damages and the other seven women are asking for unspecified punitive damages The suit contends that Bailey's actions caused them a range of physical and emotional problems including in some cases post-traumatic stress disorder Several plaintiffs who were church because of an eating disorder and grew to trust him as a friend and mentor Lead plaintiff Cassie Allbaugh the church's former director of youth ministries is seeking $29 million She quit her job in June 1995 after almost six years with the church Ruby Woolridge an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Tarrant County district clerk in 1995 is seeking $678000 She alleges that when she consulted Bailey about her political campaign in 1994 he turned the conversation to sexual matters The other plaintiffs are Candis White a former food services director at the church who is seeking almost $126 million longtime church member Alison in fact "to put Erma in her place" "The board could've handled 1 not choosing her significantly difq ferent than they did" Gates said "They could've called her in and told her they were going outside but they didn't They told her she was being given due consideration" Berry said the search firm expected to conduct its final 4 view Friday After that he said1 the search firm and committgei will meet to prepare a report kir1 the next scheduled board meetipg'4 Dec 17 oi At that meeting board presi-: dent Dr Ardis Bell said trustees'4 will discuss Morrison's tion from the search committee Bell said that he has Morrison not to resign "so 1 st111: consider her on the committee" I As president of the national organization Morales has spent a lot of time on the roadMuch of his time is also divided among': firefighting his Dallas real estate4' appraisal firm and work He said he makes it a prior-: ity to spend his spare time withy his wife of 20 years Margareti and their two children Austin 8 and Alese 4 I His wife a Fort Worth teacher: said he often reads to his children and takes her out for romantic: dinners lllll sot a Lovett former Gardner Patchez services seeking State Walker issued instructing parties in new trial the stemming He prospective out a included religious improper opinions Justice Berry called any allegation of racism "a fabrication It's not at all true" He said that even he was surprised that Johnson didn't make the search firm's final cut saying he had seen her resume "She's an outstanding person and she has wonderful qualifications If anything this shows the caliber and vast experience that the other applicants had" But Pamela Dunlop Gates another Johnson supporter said: "That's the other part of this that is offensive in my opinion They're going to parade those black people out to make the case that race is not a factor here But they're not going to be selected either whoever they are" Gates said and others agreed that the process was devised to justify not selecting Johnson and influenced by as much as Sal" Morano said "He was a visionary He's definitely a leader among leaders who took on a monumental task" Morano said that others have tried to start similar organizations in the past but that no one was committed enough to carry it out Those who know Morales say that his soft-spoken manner and dedication make people believe things can happen People listen to him and trust him they said In 1995 he led the state association to the Legislature where it lobbied for a bill that would have allowed cities more flexibility in creating more diverse work forces The bill died but it gave the group confidence that it could participate in the highest level of state government That same year Morales started the National Association of Hispanic Firefighters which has a membership of about 1000 in 17 states The association also has chapters in Mexico and Panama and plans to start a chapter in Puerto Rico said "We talked a lot about racing" Gossage and Holland said they are prohibited from disclosing financial details of the settlement "Look at the financial resources of Smith I don't think I'm in that league" said Holland who purchased the South Texas track in the winter of 1992 and opened it the following spring "But we stayed with them We didn't go away "We're happy with the settlement It came down to a very good meeting with Eddie I think we found out we were both human He's in a pretty high-pressure situation and when we got to meet each other we got to see things were different on both sides than what we had thought" Gossage who must deal with the confusion and expense of reclaiming the name said he was series of trials around the country with a small group of randomly selected plaintiffs "We're not opposed to real trials with real people real judges and real juries using real law" Dow Corning earmarked an additional I billion in its reorganization plan to settle claims of other creditors such as suppliers trade vendors and financial institutions Knowles said plaintiffs' From Page IA his private office and elsewhere Bailey retired as senior minister of the 10500-member First United Methodist Church in August 1994 after the allegations became public He later surrendered his ministerial credentials but has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing In papers filed yesterday the women list individual damage estimates ranging from $678000 to $47 million Former church member John Brozovic is also seeking $100000 for loss of con TCJC From Page IA attracted 51 applicants including' Johnson the junior college district's vice chancellor for administration and its highest ranking African-American and woman Eight candidates are being interviewed for the chancellor's job and the field should be narrowed to between three and five finalists by mid-December said Clay Berry Jr who heads the trustee search committee "There are still African-Americans in the running More than one" Berry said Race has "never been anybody's concern Not my committee's" In a telephone interview yes Morales From Page IA city the council would provide expertise and act as a resource to city management and employees to help resolve problems before they reach litigation Morales' activism started when he was 17 He joined the La Raza Unida party and boycotted Safeway stores in support of the United Farm Workers He also protest- peacefully he adds against the Vietnam War La Raza Unida a Hispanic political group that challenged the two-party system affected him the most he said bringing him pride and a sense of purpose that would eventually mean opportunities for him and future Hispanic generations As president and founder of the National Association of Hispanic Firefighters Morales 43 pushes to remove barriers that sometimes block opportunity for minorities Speedway From Page 1 A Motor Speedway but was renamed Texas International Raceway on Sept II after owners of a quarter-mile dirt racetrack outside Alvin claimed the Texag Motor Speedway name But yesterday the original name was resurrected after afi out-of-court settlement with Gulf Coast Motor Speedway Inc which owns The South Texas track Developer Bruton Smith and his Speedway Motorsports Inc announced that they had acquired exclusive ownership and use of the Texas Motor Speedway name for their track nearing completion in far north Fort Worth Dow From Page IA overwhelming" said Dow Coming spokesman Michael Jackson Dow Coming's latest offer is contained in a reorganization plan aimed at getting the company out of bankruptcy court Leaders of anti-breast implant groups condemned the plan as woefully inadequate pointing out that when the settlement collapsed two years ago it was because thousands more women filed claims than expected The offer would be worth $6666 to each of the approximately 300000 women who received Dow Coming implants although not every (31t is expect Wootridge Lovett employees said they felt forced to resign because of a hostile working environment a legal element of sexual harassment in the workplace The largest single amount $47 million is being sought by former church member Ginger Pierson who says in court papers that Bailey lured her into a longtime sexual relationship after she consulted him as a teen-ager attended the college district's board meeting in September to question the expense of a national search One group also launched a letter-writing campaign to endorse Johnson for the job Johnson joined the college district 28 years ago as a teacher and worked her way through the ranks to her current position She also was the first African-American appointed to the DallasFort Worth Airport board Her supporters however said the selection process was set up to eliminate Johnson because the college district is not ready for an African-American administrator "I simply cannot believe that someone with her background experience and knowledge of the system was not a finalist unless advisory committee that would work with city officials on issues such as minority hiring and diversity training The committee consists of representatives from the Arlington Hispanic Advisory Council the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Association of Hispanic Firefighters "I think it's a way to address the concerns of the minority community for the level of involvement they are seeking" said Arlington Mayor Richard Greene "The more communication and cooperation we have the better the decisions will be that often create controversy This is one way to address it and perhaps it's a benefit to us to pursue it" Morales said he believes the city has taken some positive steps Two Hispanics and an African-American for example were recently promoted to lieutenant in the Police Department Morales said he knows what it feels like to be on the receiving end of racism As a rookie firefighter with the Dallas Fire "Raceway on Sept 11 As part of the out-of-court settlement Speedway Motorsports dropped its countersuit against Gulf Coast Motor Speedway Inc With that Texas International Raceway became history after 8212 days of what some called a classic "David vs Goliath" battle Gossage said the name was back where it belonged and added that he saw little humor in the "David vs Goliath" scenario "We've all along maintained that the name Texas Motor Speedway was legally ours" Gossage said "When anybody sues you you don't take it lighthearted People taking shots at you and for people to have made jokes about the name that this small speedway in Alvin could do all this that was frustrating At some point you have to say that's enough" unless they can be proven safe All the makers maintain they are safe but several other implant makers have offered a separate settlement that has been accepted by about 91000 women Of the $2 billion breast implant fund under the latest Dow proposal $600 million would be earmarked for settlements which would allow some women with breast implants to receive quick payments without trials These women would have to prove to a board of trustees appointed by Dow Corning that leaking implants caused injuries such as difficulty moving their arms The remaining $14 billion would be contingent on the outcome of a trial to resolve the central legal controversy over whether breast implants cause dlease I His many endeavors have at times made his home life she said but added that the sacri fice has been worth it 1 "I could tell in his head that he': really wanted to do what he wa doing" she said "He was very' committed to making changes foe Hispanics and other people I felt like I needed to support him" i She said that when she looks' back over the years she's over whelmed by what he has accomt plished "I'm very proud of him" she' said terday Johnson said she was notified by the search firm Nov 26 that she no longer was being considered for the job "All I'm going to say at this point is I have a letter saying I am no longer a candidate" she said Linus Wright who is coordinating the chancellor search for the Paul Ray Bemdtson firm said he recommended to the committee that Johnson be eliminated as a candidate "I know why I can't tell you why because that gets into a per- sonnel thing a liability thing" Wright said Numerous African-American leaders in the city have pushed for Johnson to be named chancellor One contingent including State Rep Glenn Lewis and County Commissioner Dionne Bagsby in the fire services ranks He is also active in several community groups serving as board member of the Dallas Service Employment Resources Project and president of the League of United Latin American Citizens Council 4578 in Dallas In October he was recognized by Texas Hispanic magazine as one of the 75 most influential Hispanics in the state This summer the Dallas firefighter of 22 years was one ofi several Arlington community leaders to challenge the city of Arlington's record on minority hiring and cultural sensitivity The coalition came together to support five city employees including an Arlington firefighter who filed lawsuits against the city charging discrimination "When they came and asked me for my assistance I thought there was a need for Arlington to start dealing with these problems" he said 0 Morales has since formed the Council on Racial Ethnic and Cultural Workforce Diversity an The Texas Motor Speedway name is in keeping with Smith's other Speedway Motorsports properties Atlanta Motor Speedway Bristol (Tenn) Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway Speedway Motorsports and Gulf Coast Motor Speedway Inc filed lawsuits against each other over the name Texas Motor Speedway during the summer David Holland majority owner of the 1200-seat facility seven miles south of Alvin filed suit against Speedway Motorsports in Brazoria County in August contending that the Texas Motor Speedway name had been his track's trademark since September 1993 Speedway Motorsports filed a countersuit in Tarrant County in September and then changed the name of its 150061- seat facility to Texas International ed to file a claim "It's a joke" said Lynda Roth of Broomfield Colo who got sick after receiving a breast Implant in 1990 after cancer surgery "Every time they try to make a deal it becomes less and less favorable to the people they have victimized which is not surprising for a company with very little morality and very few ethics when it comes to dealing with the problems they've created" said Roth president of the coalition of Silicone Survivors The reorganization plan including the settlement offer requires the approval of Bankruptcy Court Judge Arthur Spector Dow Coming stopped making breast implants in 1992 and the Food and Drug Administration ha severely restricted their sale that decision was made prior to going through the procds" Tarrant County Commissioner Dionne Bagsby said "The bottom line is racism is alive and well in our nation and I'm sure that her race and her gender have something to do with her not being selected I would think that her race was more of a factor than her gender" The Rev Ralph Emerson pastor of Rising Star Baptist Church also expressed surprise over Johnson's elimination and called the search firm's decision "totally absurd" "That's the truest form of racism and it shows a lack of confidence in someone who has a proven track record with that institution" Emerson said "I can't believe this" Department co-workers often used racial slurs He said it was sometimes done in the name of fun but it hurt deeply He said he also received less training than his counterparts but had no one to confide in about his experiences In 1993 he decided to form the Dallas Association of Hispanic Firefighters "1 saw the same thing happening to young recruits" he said "And with me having children I thought 'What do I want to do for That was a big motivational factor" A year later Morales started the Texas Association of Hispanic Firefighters the first state organization of its kind he said Hispanic firefighters realized they were facing the same problems and felt if they worked together they could fight for changes he said Randy Morano an Austin firefighter for 16 years said he remembers when Morales invited Hispanic firefighters from across the state to attend a meeting to address their concerns "I never met a person I've been When the change to Texas International Raceway was announced in September attorneys William La Fuze and Ray Hutchison of the firm Vinson Elkins said the litigation could take years But Hutchison said the process was accelerated when a trial court judge ordered the claimants to try to settle the dispute through arbitration Gossage said he and Holland met one-on-one at a lawyer's office in Dallas in early November for a nonbinding mediation session "We sat in a room for about an hour-and-a-half and we had a better understanding when we were done" Gossage said "I wouldn't say it was tough negotiations" Holland described the meeting as "pretty cordial" "We sent the lawyers out in a corner and we talked" Holland A court-appointed panel of doctors and scientists would evaluate the conflicting studies on breast implants and give its opinion at the trial Scientists are still debating whether silicone breast implants make anyone sick Last year the American College of Rheumatology issued a statement saying there was "no compelling evidence" that the implants put women at risk But early this year a study of 10000 women showed a slightly increased risk of illness Ralph Knowles a member of a committee of lawyers representing women with implants dismissed the' idea of a single trial to debate implant safety calling it a sterile process of scientists debating statistics Insteak Knowles proposed a pleased to get the issue settle4 before the track's first major event of 1997 NASCAR's Blis'ctt Grand National and Winston series are scheduled to Texas Motor Speedway on Aeri! 5-6 I "The first race will be at Texas Motor Speedway and were pleased about that" said Gossag who added that Speedway Motoe sports has retained the rights to the name Texas International Raceway Holland said Texas Motor Speedway remains "a good name the most descriptive name know We liked it But we will not be using it anymore" Holland added that he is' not sure what he will rename his track "I'll have to chew on that orfe for a while" Holland said "I ti50 call it Dave's Folly" lawyers have been working with other Dow Corning creditors their own proposal to reorgani4 the company and pay claims That plan may be introduced in a few weeks he predicted Dow Coming a partnership of Dow Chemical Corp and Corn- ing Inc that still makes cants industrial parts and othpr silicone products had a $160 million profit in the first nine months of this year Turn to the personals every Friday and Suntlay for a change 'k Have a change of heart Give your love life a whole new oudoo MOw'm!.