NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

October 23, 1978 For More Information, contact:
Sallie Harrison, President, Alachua
County Women's Political Caucus
373-5111 days
377-7474 evenings



In February 1978 the Alachua County Women's Political

Caucus nominated Jan Hahn, Director of the Comprehensive Employment
(CETA)
Training Program/of Alachua County, for the Gainesville Sun's

Community Service Award. Shortly thereafter, we learned that she

had also received nominations for the same award from a local

psychologist and from a former city commission candidate. While

the Caucus had applauded her efforts as a private citizen to further

women's rights, and the rights-of blacks, we noted that especially

since Ms. Hahn had assumed the directorship of CETA, she had

aided the poor, the elderly and the handicapped people of this county

as well. She developed the Youth Incentive Entitlement Project

(YIEP), one of 10 such programs nationwide to help teenagers find

jobs and stay in school. Under her direction, CETA received national

recognition from Retired Senior Volunteers Program, also.

Today, Jan Hahn has been fired. The Caucus wants to know

why.

As long ago as August 1977, the Florida Conservative

Union wrote Congressman Don Fuqua suggesting that Ms. Hahn's

future as a county employee be seriously looked at since a local

women's group had received federal funds after the CETA Citizen's

Advisory Council recommended that the project be funded.


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Ms. Hahn had previously been a member of that group.

Around this time county commissioners Shellie Downs

and Perry McGriff began meeting privately and publicly with a local

ultra-conservative group called Women for Responsible Legislation

or Stop ERA.

In November 1977, County Commission Chairman Perry McGriff

publicly stated that Ms. Hahn had personally voted to fund the Women

Unlimited project, and publicly admonished her for this misuse

of influence. It was widely known at that time that the Director

of CETA did not ever ha a vote in funding projects sponsored by

the CETA program.

So why were false charges made deliberately and publicly?

The Caucus finds it hard to assume that the Chairman of the Com-

mission did not know the job responsibilities -- and limitations --

of the Director of a county program.

At this time Chairman McGriff and Commissioner Downs continued

to meet with the Stop ERA group which was writing the Department

of Labor asking for Jan Hahn's removal.

In September 1978, at a meeting in Sarasota for CETA

directors, Labor Department officials, and officials of counties

participating in CETA projects, Alachua County Commissioner Ed

Turlington praised the local CETA program as "one of the best in the

state, if not the nation," and credited Ms. Hahn for this accom-

plishment.

Today Ms. Hahn is out of a job. The Alachua County Women's

Political Caucus wants to know "Why?"


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