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(Aug. 25) Well-known community activist and WBAI Local Station Board (LSB)
Member Father Lawrence Lucas was reseated on the board after community
activists applied pressure to the board. A Justice & Unity press release
(click HERE) denouncing the earlier removal manuever was issued, and [two]
dozen Lucas supporters came to greet the returning priest as he attempted
to retake his seat at the August 25th Local Station Board meeting.
Lucas supporters confronted the board with signs saying
"R. Paul Martin, Have you No Shame? Sickness is a valid excuse."
Similar signs were directed against Board Members Patty Heffley, Eric
Steinberg and Luanne Pennesi (all listener representatives to the board
who are up for re-election) [DEL: also had similar signs directed towards
them] for their vote at the Fort Green LSB meeting to uphold the ruling
of acting Chair R.Paul Martin (staff representative to the board) that
Father Lucas was no longer a board member and thus inelgible for an excuse
for missing a meeting. Lucas missed a number of meetings due to a 13 week
period when he was hospitalized, had surgery, and was released to a nursing
home for recovery. The LSB was repeatedly advised of his status during
the course of the months he was unable to attend meetings. At the August
25 meeting, Justice & Unity member Michael Tarif Warren moved to retroactively
excuse Father Lucas for his absences, and spoke powerfully of the illegitmacy
of the Board's earllier vote to deny him an excuse, and -- with the crowd
vocally in support -- the motion passed nearly unanimously (only LIST-PROG
leader Steve Brown abstained]. A rare victory for justice on this very
biased board.
For Background see below:
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