The Michigan Daily - Saturday, July 9, 1983 - Page 5 Lesbians may prosecute PanTree By JACKIE YOUNG Three women who lost their jobs at a local restaurant last February have charged that the management violated their human rights, firing them because they are lesbians. A city attorney is scheduled to decide Monday whether the women have enough evidence to prosecute the Pan- Tree Restaurant on East Liberty Street for violating an Ann Arbor human rights ordinance. THE STATUTE, passed in July 1972, prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and public accomodation on the basis of marital and educational status or sexual preference. Violations of the ordinance can result in a fine of up to $500. Backed by local gay rights groups, the three women took their case to the Mayor's Human Rights Commission. The women and the restaurant management then tried to resolve the matter out of court, said Raymond Chauncey, a commission staff member who has acted as an intermediary in the case. THE PANTREE management, however, "refused to accept con- ciliation," Chauncey said, and the women have moved to take legal ac- tion. But the PanTree management has denied that the women were fired because they are lesbians. Paul Kacer, president of the PanTree Corporation and its three restaurants in Ann Arbor, East Lansing, and California, said he was unaware the three women were lesbians when two of them were fired for poor job performance. Kacer said the third woman lost her job when she took a leave of absence from the restaurant. PanTree only allows leaves for militry service or pregnancy, he said, and her job was filled while she was away. THE RESTAURANT changed management last December, Kacer said, and about twenty employees were later fired because they did not live up to the new management's standards. If we discriminated, we wouldn't be in business,' said Kacer, who estimated that some of his customers and 30 percent of the employees in the East Lansing and Ann Arbor restauran- ts are gay or lesbian. "We don't discriminate, we never have, and never will," he said. KACER SAID the three women wan- ted $9,000 in damages from PanTree as . an out-of-court settlement. The women refused comment on the case. If they city attorney determines there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the restaurant, the case will be heard in 15th District Court. During Gay Pride week last month, area gay rights advocates gathered twice in front of the restaurant "to make the community aware of the discrimination going on at the restaurant," according to one demon- strator. The protestors urged passers- by not to patronize the restaurant because of its biases, she said. Two Red Cross volunteers, Carol Weber and Jayne Munsel prepare their equipment during a blood drive in the Union Thursday. The blood drive was held to alleviate the severe shortage of blood in Michigan this summer. AIDS scare hurts blood drive By CLAIRE CONRAD Fears of contracting AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a mysterious blood disease may have scared donors away from the campus Red Cross blood drive, Thur- sday at the Michigan Union, Red Cross officials said. Red Cross officials nationwide are reporting critical shor- tages of the most common blood type, "O," and donations at Thursday's drive reached only 155 pints - 36 pints less than were collected at a similar one-day drive last year. A BLOOD SHORTAGE usually occurs during the summer months, when students and factory workers are vacationing, said Neal Fry, the Red Cross's regional representative. But donations in southeastern Michigan were 20 percent lower than expected, because donors were scared off by reports that they could contract AIDS from giving blood. AIDS is a recently discovered illness that reduces a per- son's defenses against disease, although the cause of illness is unknown researchers believe AIDS may be spread through intimate personal contact or by blood transfusion. BUT WIDESPREAD misunderstanding of the illness has lead some people to believe they could contract AIDS through the equipment used to draw a donor's blood, said Dr. William Shafer, director Red Cross blood services for southeastern Michigan. Shafer said it is impossible to transmit AIDS through the equipment, because tools used to draw blood are disposable. Needles and collection bags are only used on one person, so no blood can be transferred from one donor to another, she said. Red Cross officials have mailed information to regular blood donors explaining that they cannot get AIDS through donating blood, which Shafer said has helped dispell the rumors. "Donations are picking up as of Tuesday with Mail-O- Grams to regular donors," Fry said. Thursday's drive was sponsored by the Washtenaw Coun- ty headquarters of the American Red Cross, which helps provide blood for six area hospitals using a total of 180 pints of blood per day. Qliiurxl r ,i3iIlI1Ip r'Et E FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH AND AMERICAN BAPTIST CAMPUS FOUNDATION 502 East Huron, 663-9376 10:00 a m. Sunday worship. Child care is provided. 11:15 a.m. Adult Class: ARTIFACTS FROM THE HOLY LAND. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1432 Washtenaw Ave., 662-4466 (between S. University and Hill) Campus/Career Fellowship Coor- dinator: Steve Spina. Sunday 9:30. Wednesday p.m. 8:00 - French Room. 8:30-Study/Discussion Groups 9:30-Holy Communion, sanctuary. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 120 S. State St. (Corner of State and Huron) Worship Schedule: PERFECTION by Dr. Gerald R. Parker. Church School for all ages-9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Choir Rehearsal-Thursday at 7:15 p.m. Ministers: Dr. Donald B. Strobe Rev. Fred B. Maitland Dr. Gerald R. Parker Education Directors: Rose McLean and Carol Bennington. LORD OF LIGHT LUTHERAN (The Campus Ministry of the LCA-ALC-AELC) Galen Hora, Pastor 801 S. Forest at Hill St. 668-7622 Worship Sunday at 10:30 a.m. NEW GRACE APOSTOLIC CHURCH 632 N. Fourth Ave. Rev. Avery Dumas Jr., Pastor 9:45 a.m. Sunday School. 11:45 Morning Worship. 7:00 p.m. Evening service. Bible Study-Wed. & Fri. 7p.m. For rides call 761-1530. UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHAPEL 1511 Washtenaw between Hill and South University Sunday Service 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning Bible Study following service. Wednesdays: Volleyball at 7 p.m. and Bible Study at 9 p.m.