Esperanza Peace & Justice Center

a n d p u b l i c f u n d i n g

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Index of Esperanza v. City of San Antonio

Statement of Amy H. Kastely
Attorney for Plaintiffs
August 4, 1998

This litigation is forward-looking and it supports the mission of the City Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Esperanza, the Media Project, and VAN ask the court to return respect to the arts funding process and to prohibit prejudice and favoritism from influencing decisions on arts funding.

The Complaint is based on the events of last fall and the City's continuing failure to remedy the wrongful acts taken at that time. It alleges that last fall, the City Council folded under outside pressure, disregarding its own merit-based criteria and the recommendations of its own evaluators. The Council allowed the prejudice and animus of some in the community and disapproval for some of the views of these arts organizations to determine their arts funding decisions and to single out Esperanza, the Media Project, and VAN for total defunding. This was a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. And it was all done in the backrooms, behind closed doors, in violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act.

The litigation seeks reversal of the unconstitutional decisions and an injunction requiring the City to adopt and follow its own merit-based criteria. The action supports the City in its mission of providing important services to all parts of all communities and cultures in San Antonio and not just to some.

What do you think? E-mail us at esperanza@esperanzacenter.org.