NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
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TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4766
Volume 34, Number 7
Police violated civil rights
CIVIL RIGHT To page 10
NEWS DIGEST
Adaptive sports roundup Page 5 Boyd Huppert
Huppert will highlight Access Press celebration by Access Press staff and Board Award-winning broadcast journalist Boyd Huppert will emcee the November 3 Access Press Award Celebration/ Fundraiser November 3. The event will be held at the university of Minnesota McNamara Center. Huppert is a skilled storyteller, award-winning journalist and longtime producer/host of KARE TV’s Land of 10,000 Stories. He’ll share a compilation of some of his stories featuring people who live with disabilities. Huppert will also discuss the role of Access Press as an essential and crucial source of information for Minnesotans with disabilities and the general public. Huppert has been described as “one of the most admired and celebrated TV
reporters in the country” by the Star Tribune. During his 40-year career in television news, Huppert has become widely known for his work as a video storyteller and teacher. He is marking his 28th year at KARE. In addition to his reporting duties, Huppert serves as National Storytelling Coach for the 49 newsrooms of TEGNA, KARE’s owner. He has presented hundreds of visual storytelling workshops across the United States and abroad. He has served for nearly three decades as a faculty member at the Advanced Storytelling Workshop, sponsored by the National Press Photographers Association. His work as a reporter has earned some HUPPERT To page 4
(Not) summer fun Page 2 Letter from the editor Page 4 Use the Access Press Directory to find services and programs Page 6-7 Apply for program Page 11
Lengthy case based on living choices is settled by Jane McClure A settlement in a lengthy federal court case centered on living choices won approval June 15. While intervenors didn’t get what they sought in the class action case of Murphy versus Harpstead, they are using the court case to mobilize on issues and draw new people into self-advocacy. At issue was a legal settlement negotiated by the Disability Law Center and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), and whether that settlement addressed issues raised by the Disability Law Center on behalf of Minnesotans with disabilities who want to live in the least restrictive settings possible. U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank’s ruling concludes that the settlement warrants approval. While many issues raised by those parties have merit, those claims are outside of the case’s scope. Frank agrees with the plaintiff’s contention that the lawsuit is not about addressing staff shortages or how the state funds waiver services.
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People with behavioral health disabilities are among whom the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and City of Minneapolis discriminated against. An 89-page report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) describes in great detail the longstanding issues of misconduct. The DOJ also announced that city and MPD leaders agree in principle to resolve the issues found through a court-enforceable consent decree with an independent monitor. This is an option to contested litigation, which could take many years to resolve. “George Floyd’s death had an irrevocable impact on his family, on the Minneapolis community, on our country, and on the world,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The patterns and practices of conduct the Justice Department observed during our investigation are deeply disturbing. They erode the community’s trust in law enforcement. And they made what happened to George Floyd possible. Today, we have completed our investigation, but this is only the first step. We will continue to work with the city and the MPD toward ensuring that MPD officers have the support and resources they need to do their jobs effectively and lawfully as we work together toward meaningful and durable reform.” “These findings present a sobering picture of a flawed system – but today we turn towards change through justice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Bildtsen for the District of Minnesota. “This thorough investigation is the foundation to make fair and lawful policing a reality for our entire community.” The report was released June 16 by Garland. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has already pledged to address the problems. Doing so could take many months and cost millions of dollars. The report describes how police used excessive force against residents from 2016 to 2022, and violated their constitutional and federal rights. The report also recommends several ways that city officials can address the situation. The DOJ report outlines four primary categories of violations. Those are: Both the police and city officials are found to violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in situations involving people with behavioral health disabilities. People who were having mental health crises and behaving erratically were found to have posed no threats to others in many situations. But police used tasers, chokeholds and other forcible measures of arrest in these cases. MPD was found to have used excessive force, caused unnecessary death, struck people who were restrained and not given needed medical aid to people in custody. The best-know of these cases was the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd, who was accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill in a south Minneapolis store.
July 2023
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Advocates gathered outside of the federal courthouse in St. Paul prior to the fairness hearing. The case is about whether the agreement is fair, adequate and reasonable, Frank said. It’s not about where a better deal could have been negotiated
Access Press thanks issue spotlight LSS!
between the Disability Law Center and the Minnesota Department of Human LIVING CHOICE To page 4