The United States Supreme Court is expected to issue two momentous decision in the next few days. On Thursday (June 25), the court is expected to rule on same-sex marriage. Also pending is a case involving the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.
Several West Virginia University individuals are available to provide commentary and perspective on both decisions.
Obergefell v. Hodges (same-sex marriage)- Kendra Huard Fershee, professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Law. Fershee’s areas of specialty include family law. Before law school, she worked as a political organizer for People for the American Way. She holds a J.D. from Tulane School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Contact information: 917.921.7411; Kendra.Fershee@mail.wvu.edu.
- David Fryson, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. Fryson, an attorney and ordained minister, has spent his entire life working on issues of diversity. Contact information: 304.293.3431; David.Fryson@mail.wvu.edu.
- T. Anne Hawkins, clinical director, Carruth Center for Psychological and Psychiatric Services and co-chair of the WVU Commission for LQBTQ Equity. Contact information: 304.293.5588; TAHawkins@mail.wvu.edu.
- Benjamin Seebaugh, program coordinator for LGBTQ issues in the Office of the Provost. As a student at WVU, Seebaugh was a Truman Scholar and served as vice president of the Student Government Association. Contact information: 304.293.4431; Benjamin.Seebaugh@mail.wvu.edu.
NOTE: One of the attorneys representing petitioner James Obergefell is Jacklyn (Jaci) Gonzales Martin, WVU Law Class of 2010. She also received her undergraduate degree from West Virginia University.
Burwell v. King (Affordable Care Act)- Christopher Plein, professor in the Department of Public Administration within the John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics. Plein studies the policy and political dynamics of the Affordable Care Act and can speak to the legal and political ramifications of the Court’s pending decision. Contact information: 304.293.7974; Chris.Plein@mail.wvu.edu.
- Robert Duval, PhD, chair of the Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership in the School of Public Health and associate professor in the Department of Political Science within the John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics. Contact information: 304.581.1826; RDuval2@hsc.wvu.edu.
- Thomas Bias, PhD, interim co-director of the Health Research Center and assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership in the School of Public Health. He worked on the Evaluation on the Insurance Exchange in West Virginia. Contact information: tbias@hsc.wvu.edu.
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jb/06/24/15
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