The public has a direct stake in this case because it exposes a dangerous failure inside Washington State’s justice system: DOC is refusing to follow binding court orders and is holding a man based on a conviction that no longer exists. When a state agency can ignore the courts, keep false records, and unlawfully restrain someone past their legal release date, it threatens the rights and safety of every Washington resident. This is not just about one man — it is about the integrity of our justice system. Charles’s case reveals how easily a person can be misclassified, mislabeled, and held under false information, even after the courts have corrected the record. If DOC can disregard a legally vacated conviction and continue treating someone as a murderer “for historical purposes,” then no one is protected from similar errors or abuses. By joining this campaign, you are standing up for: • Truth and transparency in state agencies • Accountability when public institutions violate the law • The rule of law, which must apply to DOC just as it applies to every citizen • Human rights, because unlawful restraint is a constitutional violation • Public safety, because a justice system that ignores court orders is a threat to everyone Supporting this petition means demanding a justice system that works — one that follows the law, corrects its mistakes, and respects the rights of the people it serves. When we protect Charles, we protect all Washingtonians. Charles is being held in prison for a conviction that the courts removed almost twenty years ago. The judges already fixed the mistake, but DOC refuses to update his record and still treats him like a murderer. They’re ignoring court orders and keeping him past his legal release date. If this can happen to Charles, it can happen to anyone. We’re fighting to get his record corrected and bring him home. I’m asking you to help because no family should have to go through this, and no one should be held in prison based on false information. 

Join us in demanding equity. Our people have waited too long for justice. Our elders cannot afford to wait for another unnecessary study. 🛑

The new budget proposal has $1.5 million taken away from sidewalk infrastructure and the Eviction Advocacy center, and it needs to be returned.

This is bigger than one ship. This follows the renaming of a navy ship dedicated to pioneering gay rights activist Harvey Milk last year, as MAGA Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed to re-segregate the military and erase all progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Under Hegseth’s leadership, Black military members have had their promotions blocked and been sidelined from appearing at public events.  This is about an administration that is dedicated to whitewashing and rewriting American history to maintain control over the present. From removing or altering portraits of former President Obama and other cultural imagery throughout federal buildings, to Trump’s explicit attacks on the Smithsonian, to renaming the USS Doris Miller, it’s all part of the same anti-Black, Project 2025 agenda.  The through line is clear: this administration is not simply changing what appears on the walls of federal buildings or on the hull of our military’s ships; it is actively attempting to reshape how Americans understand our history, whose stories are recognized, and whose contributions are remembered.

It violates students rights. 

This collaboration is important because it would bring together artists from different groups, companies, and musical backgrounds in a way that could create something truly unique for fans. Each artist has their own strengths, including singing, rapping, dancing, songwriting, and stage performance, so combining their talents could result in a memorable and high-quality project. Cross-group collaborations also give artists an opportunity to experiment with different styles and work with performers they may not normally have the chance to work with. It could allow them to learn from one another creatively while giving fans the opportunity to see unexpected combinations of artists on the same song or stage. A project involving these artists could also introduce each participant to audiences who may not already follow their group. Fans of one artist could discover and support another artist, creating more connections between different fandoms and encouraging appreciation for a wider range of music. Most importantly, this would be an opportunity to create a positive and memorable moment for both the artists and their fans. A carefully planned collaboration could demonstrate that artists from different groups and companies can come together creatively while still maintaining their individual identities and styles. We believe this collaboration is worth considering because it would not only be exciting for fans, but could also create a meaningful, creative, and memorable project for everyone involved

Why This Matters Our students deserve a well-rounded educational experience—one that develops them academically, socially, and personally. Sports provide opportunities that cannot always be replicated inside the classroom. They teach students how to work as a team, handle adversity, set goals, demonstrate discipline, lead others, and remain committed even when things get difficult. For HBCU Early College Prep students, access to athletics can also help create stronger connections to their school and community while giving them another avenue to discover their talents and build confidence. Most importantly, every student should have the opportunity to find something at school that makes them feel connected, valued, and proud to participate. For some students, that connection may be academics. For others, it may be music, the arts, leadership—or athletics. Establishing sports teams would send an important message to our scholars: You deserve opportunities to compete.  You deserve opportunities to lead.  You deserve opportunities to represent your school.  And your school believes in developing the whole student. We are asking for the opportunity—not simply to create teams, but to create experiences that help prepare our scholars for life beyond the classroom.

Government power can take away a person’s freedom, privacy, livelihood, and even life.  The people entrusted with that power must be held to a higher standard—not protected by a lower one.  Civil-rights violations are not paperwork errors.  They include unlawful arrests and detention, excessive force, torture, illegal surveillance, retaliation against protesters and journalists, evidence fabrication, and deliberate denial of constitutional protections.  When officials commit these acts and later obtain another badge, government contract, security clearance, or sensitive position, the system exposes the public to the same danger again.  I previously held a Top Secret–Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance while supporting national-security programs.  Clearance holders can lose eligibility for dishonesty, criminal conduct, poor judgment, or unwillingness to follow rules because those behaviors demonstrate that they cannot be trusted.  An official who intentionally violates someone’s constitutional rights has demonstrated those same disqualifying traits in the most direct way possible.  Federal law already makes willful deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law a crime.  But conviction does not consistently create a permanent, government-wide prohibition against holding another position of authority or trust.  Losing one job is meaningless if the offender can simply move to another agency, contractor, police department, correctional facility, or sensitive government position.  This proposal applies only after a criminal conviction and allows eligibility to be restored if that conviction is overturned and the person is acquitted or the charges are dismissed.  It protects due process while protecting the public from proven abusers.  A government that returns coercive power to convicted civil-rights violators is telling victims that their rights matter less than an offender’s career.  Constitutional rights must carry real consequences when government officials deliberately violate them.  If you cannot be trusted with another person’s constitutional rights, you cannot be trusted with the nation’s secrets, weapons, surveillance systems, detention authority, or public power. 

I believe snack time is important because our students are being asked to go from a lunch period around 10:30 AM until dismissal at 3:15 PM without another opportunity to eat. The older students take lunch later which gives them the same time gap from eating breakfast to having lunch without a snack time in between.  At this age, children have smaller stomachs and may not be able to eat enough during a short lunch period to comfortably sustain them for the rest of the school day. Hunger can also affect a child’s ability to concentrate, participate, regulate their emotions, and remain engaged in the classroom. A brief, structured 10–15 minute snack break could give students an opportunity to refuel and return to learning more comfortable and focused. I understand the importance of protecting instructional time, but I believe we should also consider whether asking young children to go several hours without food could ultimately have a greater impact on their ability to learn than the few minutes used for a snack.

 Every child deserves timely access to specialized medical care, regardless of where they live. Families in Prattville and the surrounding communities should not have to travel approximately 90 minutes to Birmingham during a medical emergency to reach a dedicated children's hospital. While Montgomery has a hospital that treats children, it is not a specialized children's hospital and its emergency department is often overcrowded. When a child is seriously ill or injured, long travel times and extended waits can add unnecessary stress to families and delay access to pediatric specialists. Our community continues to grow rapidly, yet access to specialized pediatric healthcare has not kept pace. Expanding pediatric services closer to Prattville would improve access to lifesaving care, reduce the burden on families, and provide peace of mind to parents who simply want the best care possible for their children. This petition is about advocating for the health and well-being of the children in our community. Every family deserves the reassurance of knowing that expert pediatric care is available closer to home when it matters most.

You can make a difference by signing this petition. You could save the lives of many children by keeping mentally challenged adults, and children away from guns, and raising the legal age to purchase firearms up to 21. Always remember: Virginia Tech (2007): 33 killed, 17 wounded Sandy Hook Elementary (2012): 28 killed Robb Elementary (2022): 23 killed, 17 wounded Parkland High (2018): 17 killed, 17 wounded

Keep affordable, competitive swim training in our community