Local News in Brief : Dental Discrimination Suit
A man with AIDS-related complex has filed suit against an Encino dentist, accusing him of violating an anti-discrimination ordinance by allegedly refusing to treat him.
The suit by Tom Jaynes, a Van Nuys psychotherapist, is believed to be the first filed against a dentist under a 1985 city ordinance aimed at stopping discrimination against people infected by the AIDS virus. The suit also accuses the dentist, Jay Brent, of violating the state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits arbitrary discrimination by businesses.
“I am bringing this lawsuit because I feel a moral obligation to speak out for myself and for others who may be too ill to ‘fight the fight,’ ” Jaynes said at a press conference.
Brent later responded: “I’ve just been falsely accused of this. It isn’t true. I do not refuse anyone treatment who has AIDS, ARC or anything.”
The Los Angeles Dental Society has a policy saying that dentists should not refuse to treat people infected by the acquired immune deficiency syndrome virus. But the society recommends that dentists take precautions to protect their staffs and their patients.
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