Equality and Justice For All

I believe "all people are born equally free and independent," in accord with the Declaration of Rights of the Wisconsin Constitution.

Therefore, all people should be treated fairly, and with dignity and respect.

Fred Wade

• I oppose discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, ethnic heritage, or sexual preference. As part of my law practice, I have worked for over 25 years with my wife, Attorney Marilyn Townsend, to enforce laws that prohibit such discrimination in the work place.
• I am pro-choice and support the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, which protects a woman’s right to reproductive health and freedom. I also believe that all women should be free to make their own decisions with respect to reproductive health care, and should have access to legal, safe, and affordable contraception.
• I support marriage equality. I believe gay and lesbian families should be protected through the same laws, and have the same obligations, responsibilities and rights, as other citizens. I also believe that the denial of marriage rights and protections to gays and lesbians is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which prohibits States from denying "to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
• I strongly support enforcement of federal and state civil rights laws. Our civil rights laws must be enforced if we are to keep the promise of equal justice under the law.
• I support the enforcement and strengthening of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state legislation with respect to disabilities. I believe such legislation is essential in order to permit people with disabilities to more fully participate in our society.
• I support state and federal legislation that protects whistleblowers from discrimination and retaliation. I believe it serves the public interest to encourage employees to disclose violations of state or federal law, instances of mismanagement or abuse of government authority, dangers to public health and safety, or claims involving a substantial waste of public funds, so that higher authorities can investigate the disclosures, stop wrongful conduct, and hold those who may be responsible for such conduct accountable.

My law practice has included a number of cases that illustrate my commitment to the proposition that all people should be treated fairly, and with dignity and respect.

In one case, Marilyn and I represented a woman supervisor with a consistent record of outstanding performance, who was fired without warning on a Friday afternoon, after thirteen years of work for a Wisconsin City. A federal court jury found, after a trial before Judge Shabaz, that the City engaged in age discrimination when it fired her and distributed much of the work she had done to younger women with less experience. It also found that the City engaged in gender discrimination when it failed to consider her for a promotion to a newly created managerial position, and instead selected a man who had less supervisory experience.

After five years of litigation, and an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the City agreed to a substantial settlement. I was principally responsible for writing the brief on appeal that defended the jury verdict, which is available for you to read Click here.

In another case, Marilyn and I represented an individual whose sexual orientation appeared to be a factor in a corporate decision to deny a promotion. The case resulted in a substantial monetary settlement on day of a hearing was scheduled to begin before an administrative law judge.

In third case, Marilyn and I represented a whistleblower who alleged that State personnel had ordered employees to act in a manner that was contrary to provisions of federal law. After the State attempted to discipline the whistleblower in response to these disclosures, we were able to secure a settlement that saved his career as a state employee.

Authorized and paid for Wade for Assembly, Marilyn Townsend, Treasurer