Councillor Marjorie Decker No Allergic Reaction to Guide Dog

This is shot at City Council meeting in Sullivan Chambers, at City Hall, Cambridge MA, October 2009. Marjorie Decker is seated nearest of all City Councillors to the public section. Sullivan Chambers is divided into two seperate and distinct sections, one for the public, and one for the councillors. In the back, you can see someone "participating" in the meeting, from the "Green Room," which Councillor and 3 times Mayor, Ken Reeves claims is part of the Sullivan Chambers.

Councillor Decker is more than ten feet away from the guide dog, Shannon, a Service Animal, a service dog used by Candidate for City Council, Kathy Podgers. in fact, she is more than thirty feet away in a large meeting hall, with high ceilings, and good ventillation. It is no wonder then, that Marjorie Decker is not having an "allergic reaction" to the "dog."

Marjorie Decker had demanded that the City of Cambridge provide her a reasonable accomodation, due to her allergies, by banning all guide dogs, service animals from City Council meetings in Sullivan Chambers. Kathy Podgers has filed a complaint with MCAD. The City refuses to agree to obey the Civil Rights Act of 1990, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and has refused to settle, insisting that Individuals with disabilities who are accompianied by service animals, guide dogs, be segregated to a different room, and watch the meeting on TV. Why even come to the public meeting, in that case, why not just watch TV at home?

Marjorie Decker and the City of cambridge claim that the very presence of a guide dog is a direct threat to the health of others like cigarette smok is a direct health threat. Yep. That is the basis of the City's position. I wonder what MCAD thinks about this?

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