(NAME-MCE) LPGA Says Learn English or No Golf

[Anselmo Villanueva]

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Erik Sorensen, CAUSA Communications <erik at causaoregon.org>
Date: Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Subject: LPGA Says Learn English or No Golf

LPGA could be bringing on a discrimination lawsuit

BY PATRICK WHITTLE

patrick.whittle at newsday.com

August 28, 2008

Civil rights and Asian-American groups said yesterday an LPGA decision
to require golfers to speak English is insulting and possibly illegal.

Several national news outlets reported that the reaction in the pro
golf community was more mixed, with some questioning the language
policy and others saying foreign-born players would benefit from
learning English.

But Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil
Liberties Union, said the LPGA could open itself up to a
discrimination lawsuit if it bars golfers from participating because
of their national origin.

The language policy is expected to most affect the LPGA's 45 South
Korean members. There are 121 international players from 26 countries
on the tour. "If they are targeting people based on language when
language is not essential to the job at hand, which is playing golf,
then it is discrimination," Lieberman said.

Many South Korean players, including Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak,
acknowledge there is a problem on the tour and support the language
policy, according to reports. The LPGA has told players who have been
members for two years that they could face suspension if they do not
become competent in English by next year.

Richard Konda, executive director of the San Jose, Calif.-based Asian
Law Alliance, said the policy is "troubling" given golf's checkered
history on race relations. He also said the LPGA could be guilty of
discrimination on the basis of national origin.

The Washington, D.C.-based Asian-American Justice Center called on the
LPGA to retract the policy, which it called "tantamount to national
origin discrimination." Konda added: "They should be very careful in
terms of enacting a thing like this because it seems to me that they
are going backwards instead of forwards."

http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sports/ny-ligolf285819379aug28,0,346140.story

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Erik Sorensen
Comunications & Research
CAUSA
1460 Capitol St NE
Salem OR 97301
503.488.0263
erik at causaoregon.org
www.causaoregon.org
www.causaoregon.blogspot.com