Kern County reaches agreement with California DOJ about violation of cost-free-speech rights

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — California Attorney Normal Rob Bonta declared that the California Office of Justice (DOJ) has entered into an settlement for a stipulated judgment with Kern County concerning the County’s policies and methods linked to no cost-speech rights assured beneath the California Constitution and the First Amendment of the U.S. Structure.

The stipulated judgment, which is issue to courtroom approval, follows a comprehensive civil rights investigation by DOJ to determine whether or not the County violated the free-speech rights of contractors or workforce.

In a launch from Attorney Common Bonta, even though the investigation located that the County did not engage in a sample or practice of violating no cost-speech rights, it did discover that the County violated the totally free-speech legal rights of a coalition of group-based corporations and a little small business by refusing to enter into contracts with them simply because they had engaged in constitutionally safeguarded free-speech activities—specifically, participating in the general public debate about “defunding the police,” and expressing assist for defunding specific law enforcement organizations.

The settlement announced resolves DOJ’s allegations outlined in a criticism filed with the Kern County Top-quality Courtroom.

As component of the agreement, the County will interact in a detailed set of actions to safeguard the legal rights of contractors, staff members, and work applicants to liberty of speech, to freely affiliate and assemble, to petition the federal government for redress of grievances, and to instruct associates.

“As Lawyer Normal, I am committed to enforcing Californians’ legal rights to cost-free speech,” claimed Lawyer Common Bonta. “The California Constitution ensures the proper of every single particular person to have the liberty to discuss, the capacity to assemble freely, and the correct to petition government. With today’s arrangement, Kern County is committing to important reforms to make certain that absolutely free-speech legal rights are guarded uniformly and in accordance with the law. My business is committed to making sure these constitutional legal rights be protected for the individuals of Kern County and California.”

In September 2021, DOJ started an investigation to establish regardless of whether the County violated the absolutely free-speech legal rights of a coalition of local community-primarily based corporations and a compact enterprise when it refused to enter into contracts with them that experienced been negotiated and approved by the County’s General public Wellness Companies Division. DOJ also investigated irrespective of whether the County has engaged in a pattern and observe of violating contractors’ or employees’ totally free-speech rights.

According to the release, in the course of the program of the investigation, DOJ located:

• In October of 2020, the County refused to enter into contracts with particular contractors to help with the County’s public wellness response to COVID-19 since of the contractors’ workout of free of charge-speech legal rights, which include their absolutely free speech, association, and petitioning legal rights. The County did so even nevertheless the contractors were already working for payment under the proposed contracts at the County’s route.
• DOJ observed proof giving rise to the concern that some present and previous Supervisors may well have engaged in viewpoint discrimination in the earlier and that some could do so in the potential when generating contracting or other community funding decisions.
• DOJ identified that, in taking into consideration prospective public contracts or other govt funding alternatives, some Supervisors may possibly have acted in the past, and could be geared up to act in the future, on the basis of an incorrect perception that 501(c)(3) charitable corporations with tax-exempt position are not permitted to engage in any political action, and that the County is thus lawfully justified in discriminating against the organizations the County deems to be politically active.
• DOJ did not come across proof that the County engaged in a sample or follow of cost-free-speech rights violations relating to contractors or County workforce through the time period included by the investigation.

The release stated the functions worked with each other to negotiate and concur on a comprehensive program that addresses DOJ’s findings and other locations of problem determined by the Lawyer Typical through its investigation. This strategy is embodied in the stipulated judgment that DOJ will seek to have entered by the Courtroom.

The stipulated judgment provides for the County to consider remedial steps above the study course of a minimum amount 3-12 months oversight interval, with oversight to be provided by DOJ and a third-celebration Cost-free Speech Specialist jointly picked by the functions. The Court shall retain jurisdiction during the oversight interval in purchase to implement the parties’ settlement as established forth in the judgment. Underneath the stipulated judgment, Kern County will be demanded to, between other matters:

• Undertake and disseminate a Countywide Cost-free Speech Policy authorised by DOJ, stating the no cost-speech rights of contractors, workforce, and applicants for employment, below the California Constitution, and the First Modification of the U.S. Structure. The Totally free Speech Plan will be posted on the Kern County web-site, in designated actual physical locations, and in County-issued Requests for Proposals and other solicitations for deal or grant proposals, and attached to all County contracting forms.
• Designate a County Grievance Coordinator, permitted by DOJ and trained by the Cost-free Speech Specialist, to get, investigate, and take care of problems of violations of the Free Speech Coverage from contractors, workforce, and applicants for employment, subject matter to acceptance by the third-party Absolutely free Speech Specialist.
• Produce and supply yearly schooling to members of the Board of Supervisors and other County staff on the Cost-free Speech Coverage and the County’s obligations regarding totally free-speech legal rights below the legislation, and schooling on the legal rights of a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) firm to attempt to affect legislation with out dropping its tax-exempt status, matter only to specific limitations established forth in the tax regulations.

Officials with Kern County sent out a response expressing:

“The Legal professional General did not obtain evidence that the County engaged in a sample or exercise of free of charge speech legal rights violations relating to contractors, County personnel, or position candidates following a vast-ranging and in depth investigation initiated by the Attorney Typical.

The Lawyer Normal did file a criticism alleging the County violated the free of charge speech rights of two entities as a consequence of a deal linked to general public outreach about the Covid-19 pandemic. Soon after cautious thing to consider, the County opted to enter into a stipulated judgment to resolve this dispute and enable the County to shift ahead and continue to focus on the a lot of essential matters the County handles each and every working day.

This agreement, which imposes no economic penalty on the County, follows a long time of diligent cooperation by the County with the Attorney General, which includes the assessment of more than 12 million internet pages of files by County departments and staff members in reaction to an Attorney Standard investigative subpoena.

Moreover, the Board of Supervisors welcomes the resources agreed on in the stipulated judgement to assistance Kern County’s dedicated dedication to nonprofits and free speech, as they will provide as critical instruments in continuing to execute on our critical system of being a model of excellence in how we regulate our business and workforce.

At the time of the deal negotiation in October of 2020, Kern County was responding to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic with minimal to no roadmap for defending inhabitants amid a fatal virus at which place experienced no treatment. Prior to Kern County considering a deal with Setting up Healthful Communities and Adelante Methods, these organizations approached County employees and offered to provide community outreach regarding Covid-19 screening.

On even further review by the Board of Supervisors, it was determined that this operate could be proficiently performed internally by County staff members without having partaking outside contractors.

Kern County is very pleased of its support to residents through the Covid-19 pandemic and is eager to reallocate the means invested on this endeavor to delivering the good quality-of-lifestyle products and services vital to the safety, enjoyment, and wellbeing of Kern County communities.”