"Celebrating Diversity" ASHA Denies Religious Exemption To Faith-Based Community Members

Still on break (I'm trying) but there has been such a large volume of email lately regarding this issue that I decided to post this for all to see. ASHA denied this request several months ago (no surprise), but I have held this back from the blog because other legal possibilities were being explored. Now there is so much interest going on that I think people need to know what has already been looked at.
Breaking news: my understanding is that a university fluency professor (Ph.D.) is now very close to resigning from ASHA on conscientious and moral grounds (just try to imagine how unlikely it would be for a physical therapist to feel that they had to resign from their national association on moral grounds and you begin to see how off course ASHA has gotten). Also, ASHA has confirmed to at least one member that it will print a very carefully worded statement regarding its relationship to its gay caucus before the end of the summer. Also, this blog had its 10,000th hit this past week.

Attention Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, and Jews: kindly leave your pesky consciences and faith at the door when you join ASHA.

To: Arlene Pietranton
Subject: Arlene: A Request per Legal Counseling

Arlene,
I have been advised by the Pacific Justice Institute (9851 Horn Road Sacramento, CA 95827-1957 (916-857-6900) that because a number of ASHA members have sincere religious objections to ASHA's advocacy and support of issues that violate their religious beliefs that ASHA should provide a Hudson/Beck Refund to members who request it. The Beck Refund is an accommodation supported by the United States Supreme Court in:

Communications Workers of America v. Beck, 487 U.S. 735 (1988)

As ASHA has provided convention space to L'Gasp, has provided free accommodations to a member of the multicultural committee who represents L'Gasp, has used ASHA association facilities and resources (including salaried employees) to revise its ethics code in favor of transgenders and cross-dressers, has used its resources to monitor ENDA, and as these are in conflict with the religious beliefs of members, a Hudson/Beck Refund accommodation should be made available to members who request it. This refund would pro-rate our fees so that members would receive back the percentage used by ASHA for expenditures of an offensive nature.

I am hereby requesting to know ASHA's procedures for obtaining a Hudson/Beck refund for ASHA members who have a religious objection to ASHA's support, affirmation, and advocacy of causes that are in conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs.


cc: Pacific Justice Institute

ASHA Finances: Part 6 - ASHA's Bloated Employee Pension Plans

This in from Jayna, an SLP who has been working tirelessly for members:

I was just re-reading on p. 14 of ASHA's 2008 Financial Statement that you sent me months ago. How do you think their retirement plan compares to most others? My husband and I think it sounds pretty spectacular:

"The Association has a noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan covering most employees and employees of the Foundation hired before
January 1, 2003.  The benefits are based on years of service and the employee's highest average compensation during any three consecutive fiscal years.  The Association's funding policy is to contribute annually the maximum up to the full funding limitation."

I think I need a job with ASHA!  For three years, anyways. :)

Jayna

Jayna,

As usual, the elites at ASHA live high off the hog on our dime. While school slps are getting their salaries and pensions nuked by budgets, ASHA employees get sweetheart deals.
ASHA Watch

ASHA Finances: Part 5 In A Continuing Series

I thought you would be interested in reading my most recent 
communications with Martin Rome. Feel free to add them to your post along with the first letter.

XXXX (Name hidden to protect

Dear XXXX,
Thanks again for all you do for the members!
ASHA Watch

Mr. Rome (note: Mr. Rome is the chief staff officer for communications at ASHA),
Clearly we do not see eye to eye.  Please allow me to clarify some of 
my concerns in a response to your latest email. 

You stated that "the actual, per certified-member cost of providing
 all of ASHA's programs, products and services is currently more than
 $325."  I am curious to know if this includes ASHA staff salaries as 
part of the "services."  Recently I determined, by looking at ASHA's
 2008 financial statement, that approximately 40% of ASHA's total
 revenue of $43,051,204 was spent on salaries and pensions.  In order 
to support multiple ASHA staff salaries that are several times higher 
than the salaries of other SLPs and audiologists, I am sure that ASHA
 would have to seek various sources of non-dues revenues! 

ASHA's own financial statement also clearly delineates the Total
 Program Revenue as exceeding the Total Program Expenses by well over 
ten million dollars, so I'm not sure where you are getting your 
information and your figures. ASHA's most expensive liabilities come 
from the high cost of the mortgage for the new headquarters, and well over 
fifteen million dollars in salaries and pensions.  Many of us simply 
cannot believe that our organization's money, at the national level, 
is spent judiciously - as should be done according to the parameters of 
a not-for-profit organization.

 You also stated: "You are proposing that ASHA provide member benefits
 and services to those who do not want to pay for the service. That is 
not a viable or reasonable model."  In response, I will restate very
 simply that those who pay for the service should receive the service,
 member or not.

 Thank you for your time.  I sincerely hope that this organization has 
begun to realize some of the many concerns that are widespread throughout the 
professions of audiology and speech-language pathology, even though
 ASHA staff fail to acknowledge this fact.  You should know by now that
 the concerns I raise represent the views of many current and former ASHA members from across the country.  We implore ASHA to be more 
frugal with the money received through our organization, and more fair
 in the allocation of resources to those who pay for them anyways.


Sincerely,

ASHA Watch and friends