Hello. My name is, as you already stated, Vanessa Leary. My son might be possible for suspension at the age of six, first grade, due to his school report, yelling bad things, kicking, screaming, hearing voices telling him to do bad things to his teachers, calling people "fat head." Apparently this voice in his head is telling him that his brain has two arms, two legs, and a face. But he wasn't always like this. Two years ago he was never like this. This is my son. See this? He came to a Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 visit. This is scarlet fever. How does a kid come to a visit with scarlet fever? See that? I have your attention now? Scarlet fever, five years old. This is an 18-month-old baby. Well, at the time, 14-month-old. See the bumps on his face? This is supposed to be heat rash that was caused by -- see the blisters, pus coming from his head? See this? This is cradle cap that became abscessed, an abscess that had to be cut open and drained. But this is my imagination. See this? Do I have your attention now? Then you sit there and say we have a limited time? A limited time? Do you have a limited time on a kid's life?
Thank you, ma'am. Thank you for your testimony.
This is why this resolution needs to be passed. So don't Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 tell me you don't have time to give us this much of respect. You have Councilmembers going outside, having sidebar conversations. You have other members that don't care. We have too much heart for this. (Applause.)
Ma'am, thank you. (Ms. Leary talking without microphone.)
Okay, ma'am. You have other people that want to testify. (Ms. Leary talking without microphone.)
Okay. But you have other people that want to testify, ma'am. You got to let other people testify. Next name.
Ryshee Shaw, Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 commenting on 170408. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. Actually, I'm not Ryshee Shaw. I'm Ryshee Shaw's mom. He's 14 years old and we have court today.
Slow down. What did you say? You said you're not?
I said I'm not Ryshee Shaw. Ryshee Shaw was here, but he had to go over to court today because we have court with DHS.
On my last court date, I tried to explain to the judge Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 that Turning Points were not meeting any of my son's needs --
You're testifying on what? What are you testifying on?
What do you want me to testify on? The five times that he's been suspended from school?
Ma'am, you got to sign up for something that's on the Calendar. You can't just come up and speak.
Okay. Well, this is my first time being here, so I'm unsure of what to do.
Hold on. Hold on. We got to have some order here.
Because you can't just get up and just decide to talk without signing up. You got to sign up for a particular issue that's on the Calendar.
And I tried to explain to you that Ryshee Shaw is the one that signed up.
Ma'am, we have certain guidelines in the Council Chambers and I'm trying to be as fair as possible, and I'm asking people -- but people just can't get up and just start talking about things that are not on the Calendar. So when you come up, talk about what you signed up Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 for. And if you didn't sign up, you can sign up, but you can't just like somebody was here and left and you decide to take their place. That's not how it works.
And I know this is an emotional issue, but you got to have some guidelines here.
I'm here to speak about Bill 170408. My name is Rasheedah Wright. I'm here to speak about suspensions and the Philadelphia School District. I signed -- Ryshee Shaw in seventh grade revealed some personal information to one of his teachers. It got around the whole school. He was bullied. He was suspended five times for five days. That's 25 days that he was suspended for from school and missed 25 days from his seventh grade. In eighth grade they said that he was going to go to another school. We Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 picked another school for him to go to, and things didn't work out at that other school. So that's the part about the School District and suspension. I was a parent who was in crisis, so I reached out to DHS to get help, because I was having some issues with my son and issues with myself. Instead of DHS providing me with help, they treated me as if I wasn't even a human being and told me, we at DHS, we're not in the business of taking care of children because you no longer want to be a mother. I told her it wasn't that I no longer wanted to be a mother. I was suffering from PTSD and depression and my mom was in the hospital dying and my son needed therapy, and I didn't know what to do or who to reach out. Here it's a year later, my son still hasn't received any therapy. He's supposed to be enjoying his first days of ninth grade. DHS hasn't helped him to Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 get in any school, and the judge, when I complained to him, told me to take it up with my legislator. So that's why I'm here, to take it up with my legislator, to let you know that DHS is failing kids -(Applause.)
-- and you have parents who are taxpayers who are going through crisis. I have PTSD, not because this is something that I wanted. Because numerous family members -- because Ryshee's father was murdered and I see him laying there with his brains blown out. So this is what parents are going through through the City of Philadelphia, and no one is giving us any assistance or any help. Thank you very much.
April McBride, Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 commenting on 170408. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. MS. McBRIDE: Good afternoon. I'm here to speak on 170408. I feel that children should not be suspended from school. A lot of children, they depend on school for their meals, because a lot of them are in foster care. Philadelphia DHS system is taking children at an alarming rate, the highest in the United States. There's an emergent need for this resolution that Councilman Oh and Councilwoman Cindy Bass is looking to pass. There are children that are in loving homes that have been taken care of by their parents very well, no signs of abuse or neglect. They are removed from their parents because of another regular human being, a/k/a social workers, Family Court judges, et cetera, feel the need to use their so-called gut feeling or Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 financial come-up for Title IV federal funds and bonus check tactics to remove children without proper city, state, federal guidelines being followed. Most of the time these families have been targeted by their zip code in which they reside, family size, and income levels. This type of judgment on families is clearly an act of gross discrimination and cruel intent targeting. Such acts as unlawful removal of children and parental alienation and stripping parents of their God-given rights only to bring heartache and pain to the victimized families. The purpose of DHS CPS agents are to help and not harm and which their forbidden practices bring various trauma to children, parents, and those who love them. These agencies and the "powers that be" feel that they can tweak the system for their own personal benefits and agendas. Because this practice has been going on for years, the agencies and Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 et cetera feel that the targeted families do not have the financial resources to retain private representation, that parents don't know their rights, so the agency workers take advantage of their positions and continuously practice on violating parents' rights as well as children's rights, banking on the fact that they can get away with it because of immunity protections. It's time to break their status quo and implement more concrete laws to protect parents and children from the horrible business from DHS. I'm asking all you City Councilmembers that's hearing our voices today, that we voted you in. So please vote for this new resolution that Councilman Oh and Councilwoman Cindy Bass to get our children away from these evils from the DHS and Family Court system. It's been exposed to you all that Councilwoman Helen Gym has lied to you and all of us. We have proof. We Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 have e-mails. We went to her office. So this I'm asking you to please help our children, help our families so we could have a better future in Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Yolanda Bryant, commenting on 170408. (Witness approached podium.)
The Philadelphia school system is failing our children. Our children is not getting the education that's needed, because our children are not focused due to child separation by DHS. Many of our children in first grade is in foster homes. This is why it is very important for our children not to be Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 suspended. Children that age sometimes does not speak out to tell the teachers why they are behaving or misbehaving, whatever the reason why the child was suspended in the first place. This leads into reform schools like Glen Mills, because after a certain age and a certain amount of suspensions, the children are referred and they parents to DHS. Councilwoman Gym established a youth resident placement. The task force that has been meeting since the fall of recommendations for Shift Institute into (unintelligible) towards meaning for healthy outcomes. Well, Helen Gym, I wish I could say that about the foster care system. But because of that, our children are still suffering. Helen Gym has made an R. Kelly resolution. This resolution has said that yet we are focused -- this is what Jenice Armstrong from the Inquirer said. She said that Helen Gym is focused on a Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 resolution that's introduced and passed. She's focusing on that and saying about young black kids being raped. My granddaughter, as I showed y'all, is raped. This is my grand-kids in DHS, which they trying to blame on us, as happy. This is the baby that they took from me that I had from birth, and they said that the baby wasn't being taken care of, and this baby was. I'm holding here documents from the hospital that indicate the real rapist, that show everything what the kids say, and no one still did anything. Councilman Clarke, you said yourself that this is important. How come you haven't addressed this resolution yet? Our children lives matter. (Applause.)
Our children is being raped, they being beaten, and no one did nothing about this yet.
Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 Okay. I understand -
Okay, ma'am. I understand there will be another resolution introduced.
Because everybody is held accountable and there will be a civil lawsuit against all them.
I'm speaking on Resolution 170408 and children being suspended in school. I was a child suspended in the Philadelphia school system. I'm a part of the Philadelphia School District. Of course I'm now in college, and I did a presentation on the Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 school-to-prison pipeline yesterday. I feel like the DHS system helps perpetuate that, as well as rules in terms of parenting. I don't believe there is such a thing as a perfect parent. No one here I can consider had a perfect parent. Parenting is a difficult task. I feel like we should focus more on a community-based ideology and just trying more so to actually communicate with parents and communicate with children that's put in bad situations. As my mom said, I have a niece that was raped and the DHS system helped her rapist get her back in his custody. So it's difficult actually trusting the system as a young person that doesn't have kids yet. I don't believe you guys actually care about the system set in place for us. It's difficult to talk about, honestly, but the reality is like we should not be celebrating things in Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 the beginning of City Council meetings. Like our future is the children. We should focus on the children. We should focus on education and the system set forth for us. That's all I have to say.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.)
Clinton Lewis, commenting on 170408. (Witness approached podium.)
I'm speaking on 170408. As you know, my child was in DHS for seven years. Cost me 37,000 in legal fees. My child was kidnapped, my both children kidnapped from Philadelphia and put in foster care.
Hold on. Are you talking about -- are you Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 testifying on what?
So they got suspended from school, then they -- all right.
I'm asking you all to humor me. All right? Just kind of go through -
What happened was, they put them on psychotic drugs and they not functioning well in school right now. These psychotic drugs that they put these children on, they out of mind and they -this is a travesty of justice. Okay? This is like robbing children of their lives in order to give them a criminal record saying that they have ADHD and all Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 that and nothing being done. DHS needs to be cleaned up. Okay? This is a cesspool for children. It's a mess. It's not DHS; it's DH Mess, and this needs to stop, because they keep doing it and getting away with it. Who is going to stop them? Nobody is there to stop them. I seen children getting killed in there and they give the family the ashes of the baby. Okay? Everybody turn a blind eye. This is not -- I got beat up in court and my shoulder broken, and nobody did nothing, because they paid all people under the table. When is this going to stop? I'm asking you, City Council, please take an end and a stand to this and let people know what is going on. If you do not, I'm going to broadcast them over the radio, because I seen DHS having people on drugs working in that office. Okay? And nobody doing nothing about it. So I'm going to do something. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 I'm going to blast them on the radio, start blasting them. And I'm writing a book called Seven Years A Nightmare and Foster Care A Crime, and I want you all to read my book when I'm finished, because it's about the system. It's going to Hollywood. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.)
Good afternoon. I guess I'm speaking on 170408 about the kids being suspended from school. As a mother of four, I don't agree with that. But to get started, honestly, I really didn't even want to come down here today. I'm here to support the other moms, because we all fighting for the same Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 cause. Because to me it's pointless. Y'all not listening. Y'all don't pay attention to us, and we not bringing y'all no money for y'all to profit off of us. So we not really being heard. And it's messed up that as parents, that, you know, we really fighting for our children like we did something wrong. I just -- you know, like I said, I'm here to just support these moms, because we all fighting for our kids. I also want to give an amazing shout-out to City Councilman Jones and David Oh, because they are the only ones that's being overlooked, but are fighting for family separations and housing and services and all of that. And it took three years for me to finally get signed a lease for my children, for me to be told now it was too late and I have to accept it. I don't agree with that at all. So I just hope as a unit that Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 we all keep fighting. Mr. Oliver, who is also awesome, part of David Oh, they are amazing and they really, you know, trying to fight for us, but we don't have no money for y'all, so y'all not listening to us, and that's what it takes. We don't have thousands of dollars to be like here, can we get our kids back. We being tooken advantage of because we financially don't have it, and that's not cool at all. So our children suffering, and then y'all causing our crazy. DHS is the cause of our crazy. I ain't never had anxiety or PTSD and none of that. Now y'all want to medicate us and make us forget about our kids and what the cause that we fighting for. It's unacceptable, but we have to accept it. And as you can see, we not accepting it. Like it's many of us here, but being as though y'all don't want to hear it.
Thank you. Good afternoon. I am worried about the impact Bill 160720 will have on the most vulnerable citizens and the working class. With so many food deserts, the highest population of disabled citizens, and being the poorest big city, I am confused as to why we would make a bill to get rid of grocery stores. For many city residents, the corner store is their source of food and other essentials. What this bill seems to do, either directly or indirectly, is Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 create more food deserts in our underserved communities by restricting access to family-owned establishments. Bill 190559, it's 2019, we need to be more inclusive to all and start being the change. All bathrooms should be gender-neutral. We all use the bathroom in the same manner regardless of gender. When nature calls, it does not discriminate. I ask City Council to make the public bathrooms more accessible by removing the general hurdle for usage and instead making the few public bathrooms that we do have gender-neutral. Thank you. (Applause.)
Clarc King, commenting on 190559. (Witness approached podium.)
Good afternoon. Council President, Councilmembers, I Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 appreciate your time. I am referencing 190559. That is the ordinance to impose new regulations on gender-neutral bathrooms, and I think we ought to review this before we go any further. I believe that an unnecessary imposition on bathrooms has already occurred. I think we'll find the cost to be unreasonable and costly and will impact the right to privacy. I see no reason to continue this aggressive movement in political correctness, cultural revision that focuses on sex and the men and women, their roles in our society. The political focus needs to be on poverty, homelessness, low wages, the lack of affordable housing, taxes, and debt. Poverty is a national security crisis as a result of the 60-year wealth transference to the one percent facilitated by the Federal Reserve Bank and the Wall Street system impacting our American standard of living and the political system. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 The one percent net household worth broke the $100 trillion barrier in 2017, and this fact has been ignored. The oligarchical governance of this country is out of control and it needs to be confronted now. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Mr. Decker, would you please read the name of our next speaker.
Velma Lippert, commenting on 180409. (Witness approached podium.)
Thank you. Actually I'm here for 170408. In 1990, my son was in school. He was in third grade. He was only eight years old, and he was complaining that the new group of kids from the integration program into the Northeast had attempted to sexually assault the kids, and instead -- some respect, please. Okay? We are talking here about Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 children and how the system is failing them. Okay? My granddaughter, she is stage four brain cancer and her father was a no-show. Then he abused my daughter, left her unconscious, and the coward went to get an emergency PFA with eviction to get my daughter out of their lives. Why? Because they are living out of (unintelligible) for my granddaughter and the money goes to buy personal items like cars and electronics. Now, the father was granted custody from Monday through Friday and he is now sexually molesting my granddaughter. Okay? He told them that -- even though Family Court, DHS knew that he likes child-like pornography and is killing and torturing small animals, burning them alive, the detective was very adamant, that (unintelligible) was very adamant to pursue this issue of security -- sexual abuse of my granddaughter. Okay? And he Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 told her that my granddaughter cannot speak. I have a record here of my granddaughter, and tell me if this is not a kid that can't speak. Please. I'm sorry, but I have to play this.
Please. I'm sorry, but I have to play this. You were not listening to me to begin with, so you owe me at least a couple more seconds. But he wasn't listening to me. I'm sorry, sir. Please, please, I'm begging you. Okay? Please. This is very important to me. (Playing audio.)
Joe Danihel, commenting on 190723. (Witness approached podium.)
This is an official decree of the people in writ of mandamus quo warranto and, as such, requires immediate action and remedy. Every week, Council, Mayor, Governor, and others transfer private property to the government, probably unlawfully. Last week I re-testified to repeated denial and deprivation of God-given rights. Why hasn't every official provided immediate remedy, as required by law? In addition to this testimony repeated over 100 times, requires the Attorney Generals and the District Attorney to prosecute. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 The failure to perform a known duty or task requires armed Sheriff and Police stationed in Council Chambers to arrest all officials involved, as previously testified to. If officials do not want to obey, protect, and defend the constitutions and laws, why do they seek reelection? If officials lie to God, violate their oath, how can people trust them? The constitutions require immediate remedy of this breach of law, breach of close, breach of fiduciary duty. Your oath of office requires you to act or face prison. 42 USC 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987; 18 USC 241, 242, 2381, 2384; PA Constitution, Article I, Sections 1 through 28; 26 PA CSA 703, 705, 708, 709, 711, 712, 713, 716, and other laws listed in SCOTUS 15-8965, 14-1330, 14-4056 appear violated. I call on the federal and Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 Commonwealth governments to perform their constitutional obligations to investigate and prosecute all involved in the theft and illegal deed transfer of my home, 1038 West Wyoming Avenue. And the denial of God-given 42 USC 1982 property rights for 25 years is egregious, extraordinary, oath-violating, and requires immediate remedy. I remind Council, it takes a lot of cooperation to create and allow all of this monumental corruption and this disdain for your constituents' opinions.
Mr. Decker, is there anyone else here who signed up to testify?
There are no other speakers on the public comment list, Mr. Chairman.
Seeing none, Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING that concludes today's public comment period. We will now consider the bills and resolutions on the Second Reading and Final Passage Calendars. Mr. Decker, would you please read the title of Bill No. 190558.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-1100 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Fair Practices Ordinance: Protections Against Unlawful Discrimination," by adding a new Section 9-1133, to require that institutions or organizations that serve youth adopt and make known policy guidelines providing for non-discriminatory treatment of transgender and gender non-conforming youth.
This bill having been read on two separate days, the question now is shall the bill be passed finally. Mr. Decker, would you please Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING read the roll.
Aye. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes are 14; the nays are zero. The majority of members having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING (Applause.)
Mr. Decker, would you please read the title of Bill No. 190559.
An ordinance amending Section 16-104 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Gender-Neutral Bathrooms," to impose additional requirements regarding installation of gender-neutral bathrooms in City buildings.
The bill has been read on two separate occasions. The question now is shall the bill be passed finally. Mr. Decker, would you please read the roll.
Councilman Domb. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
Aye. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes are 14 [sic]; the nays are zero. The majority of members voting in the affirmative, the bill passes. Mr. Decker, would you please read the title of Bill No. 190608.
An ordinance amending Title 21 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Miscellaneous," by adding a new Chapter 21-3100, entitled "Reporting of Settlements of Civil Actions," to establish a system of Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING quarterly reporting and evaluation of means to reduce future liability.
Thank you very much, Majority Leader. I wanted to say that I wanted to be recorded as voting aye on the earlier bills that were read today. And for this particular bill, I would like to offer an amendment to Bill No. 190608. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of Council, and I move for the adoption of the amendment. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded for the amended Bill No. 190608. All in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING have it. The amendment to Bill No. 190608 will be read at our next session of Council. Mr. Decker, would you please read the title of Bill No. 190651. The Chair recognizes Councilman Johnson.
Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I would like to be -- I have to step away, so I'd like to be recorded as voting aye on all bills and resolutions.
It will be duly noted on the record. Thank you. Mr. Decker, Bill No. 190651.
An ordinance amending Chapter 9-1100 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Fair Practices Ordinance: Protections Against Unlawful Discrimination," by revising the definitions of gender identity and sexual orientation.
This bill also has been read on two separate days. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING The question now is shall the bill be passed finally. Mr. Decker, would you please read the roll. Councilwoman. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gym.
Thank you so much. Thank you very much, Majority Leader. So I apologize for being a little bit late, but this bill is part of a package of bills, the three bills that we're passing today, that have been a long time in the making, and collectively they help us think about the City we want to live in and proactively thinking about who we stand up for and how we stand up for each other and what's right in this moment. These bills arise out of the lived experiences of Philadelphians, and I want to thank all the community members who came forward to help and advise us in creating these bills and told us so clearly why it matters, including facing Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING discrimination in their schools and in some of the programs that they've experienced and even here at City Hall, to be honest. I want to thank civil rights organizations from the ACLU, Philadelphia Family Pride, and the William Way Center and Juvenile Law Center. These organizations demonstrate the best of our City because of their efforts to expand protections locally while our federal government feels like it's bent on erasing and attacking our trans brothers and sisters. I especially want to thank the Law and Government Committee members, Councilman Greenlee, Jones, O'Neill, and Bass, for their affirmative vote to build a truly inclusive city, and I have to thank my own staff member, Christian Lovehall, a true leader and champion for trans rights, who I have been lucky to have on staff. But this work builds on groundbreaking legislation enacted by Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING this Council and led by Mayor Kenney. I want to end by saying there's a number of people who make careless comments about trans and gender non-conforming individuals, and I think a ten-year-old named Itzela Wiley said it really best at our hearing. People can be mean and other people can be hurtful without meaning to be. I don't need to hear that it's hard. I don't expect people to be perfect. I only ask for people to try and to respect me for who I am, and because I know that I am supported, I am here to speak for those who are not. So I wanted to just thank this Council for being so generous on this issue as we work to expand civil rights and protections in this era. With that, I move for the passage of the bill.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Any other speeches? Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING (No response.)
Okay. We'll move forward on the vote. Prior to me calling for the vote on 190651, Mr. Decker, please, I would like to be recorded as voting aye on 190558, aye on 190559, and aye on the amendment to 190608. 190651, this bill has been heard on two separate days. The question is shall the bill pass finally. Mr. Decker, call the roll.
Councilwoman Gym. Stated Meeting October 3, 2019 10/3/19 - STATED - 2ND READING