YEAH!






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PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY FOUNDATION June 3, 2008



Dear sherry,



California State University and Wendy Gonaver, represented by People For the American Way Foundation attorneys, have reached an agreement that reinstates Ms. Gonaver and sets a precedent that should protect the religious liberty and free speech rights of all University employees.



More than 14,000 of you signed a petition to Cal State's Chancellor demanding that the University respect religious freedom and freedom of speech. Thank you so much for adding critical grassroots pressure to this fight. The signatures also helped in the tremendous press attention we were able to generate around this matter.



To recap: Wendy Gonaver lost her teaching job at Cal State over a dispute regarding the "loyalty oath" required by the California State Constitution of all public employees. Ms. Gonaver, a Quaker, wanted any statement she signed to make clear that it violated her deeply held religious beliefs to take up arms and that she was not committing to that with the oath, and also that she had free speech objections to being required to sign the oath. The University refused to allow Ms. Gonaver to attach any such explanatory statement and Ms. Gonaver was out of a job.



People For the American Way Foundation, and YOU, intervened on her behalf. And we won!



The settlement, reached late in the day on Friday:



appoints Ms. Gonaver to teach the same two courses this fall that she was originally supposed to teach last fall;
allows Ms. Gonaver to attach to the oath an explanatory statement of her religious and free speech objections, not undermining the oath but allowing her to sign it in good conscience; and
clears the way for others with religious or other objections to the oath to attach an explanatory statement, as long as the statement does not undermine or qualify the oath.
This is a major victory, and you helped make the difference. Thanks again.







In sincere appreciation,



People For the American Way Foundation