The Chris Voss Show - The Chris Voss Show Podcast – From A Dirt Road to the United State Supreme Court: 6 Stones for Goliath by Charles Arline Sr
Episode Date: March 21, 2026From A Dirt Road to the United State Supreme Court: 6 Stones for Goliath by Charles Arline Sr https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-United-State-Supreme-Court/dp/1968519378 Embark on the true journey spanni...ng seven decades as childhood sweethearts Charles and Gene build a life that leaves an indelible mark on those near them. The true basis of the box office hit, “Philadelphia.”Behind the ongoing legal fight against a discriminatory firing, is a heartwarming story that highlights the traditional values of family, love, community, and respect, all while providing aromatic memories of good old fashioned soul food.The pandemic hits hard, and Gene tragically passes away from a non-COVID-19 illness. During the funeral, Charles begins to relive their life of love, angst, and tragedy.The narrative then delves into the nine-year war that Charles and Gene fought against the school board, which resulted in six true to life court cases, ultimately fought on the battlefield of the U.S. Supreme Court.The story highlights how the State Health Department exposed Gene’s medical records to the public through local news outlets, a move that spurred Charles and Gene to stand up for their family and name. The precedent-setting Arline vs. Nassau County School Board of Education case resulted in a true-to-life 7-2 victory, including Judges Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O’Connor, William Rehnquist, and more.This landmark case not only broke down barriers for the disabled and disenfranchised citizens of the US but also crossed cultural boundaries. The novel provides a rare look at an African American couple, who were transported into a fight against the machine, where justice was the true issue, rather than politics, race, or religion.From A Dirt Road to the United State Supreme Court: 6 Stones for Goliath is a powerful narrative that weaves a vision of unity, highlighting the importance of fighting for justice and breaking down barriers, while reminding readers of the true values of love, family, and community
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Anyway, guys, we have an amazing man on the show.
We're going to be talking about his insightful new book.
book that's probably very important.
One of the reasons we made Hippelaws in this country, it's entitled, From a Dirt Road to
the United States Supreme Court, Six Stones for Goliath, out February 20th, 2026 by Charles Arline
Senior.
We're going to get into it with his book, find out more about these details and the fight
that he took to the Supreme Court, which is quite honestly, Goliath versus, who's the
David and Goliath story, all that good stuff.
Charles R. Line Sr. is the author of the aforementioned book.
He was raised in the rural South.
He and his wife fought a nine-year legal battle that reached the Supreme Court of the United States,
resulting in a landmark.
Sevent to two victory that advanced protections for disabled Americans.
Their story inspired them.
I'm sorry, their story inspired the film Philadelphia.
Charles now shares a message of perseverance justice.
Faith and family.
Welcome to the show.
Sir, how are you?
It's good, good to be in with you, too.
This was a privilege to being able to do this show with you.
It's a privilege to have you on, sir.
It's an honor to have you as well.
And give us a dot-com's websites, social media,
where we want people to contact you
and get to know you better on the internet web.
Like I said, you got YouTube, Facebook,
you have any media outlets.
I mean, like I said,
we're looking forward to Amazon,
or whatever to pick this book up because actually it's one that like I said I think it affects everybody
many people that can have it especially the schools libraries and stuff like that the young people need to
know about history a lot of times history just swept up under the rug and people don't know why is there
no other person that really it was instrumental in this coming about this is what I want to be out there when
Everybody can have a copy of this book.
And we need to get the word out there.
Give us a 30,000 overview of what this book is about.
It's about my wife, Gene, and myself.
This was about a preceding case.
She had a continuing contract saying that she could not be fired for personal illness.
And they went into her medical records and exposed that to the media.
Wow.
Being fired is bad by itself.
But when someone going to your medical history and use that to do it, I mean, that's damaging, it's hurtful, and something that really is hard to deal with.
Who did she work for?
She worked for the school.
She was a schoolteacher.
She taught in Nassau County Elementary School.
And she had to work there for years.
And like I said, to have this information put out.
We live in Jacksonville, but she had to drive about.
50 miles every day one way.
Really?
Yes, one way.
To be a teacher.
And, you know, teachers are so wonderful.
My mother was a teacher for 20-some-odd years.
Sister, and we've had a lot of great teachers on the show,
and they're the people who really move this world
and influence the youth for a lifetime.
Now, what was the impetus?
You know, there's HIPAA laws.
I believe HIPAA laws are supposed to prevent
the release of or keep our records confidential.
at least until Doge went and got everything
and gave it to Planetur.
That's another story.
But what was the motivation behind releasing her records?
What was the attempt that they were trying to do to damage her?
It was like they said,
people need to know this.
And once they said,
I know somebody in the media,
and it should be given to them,
and it happened.
But even prior to them,
this. It was exposed. They were saying because she lived in Jacksonville and she had an occurrence
and a doctor that was saying, look, there's nothing wrong. You, you're not going to affect
anyone. But like I said, because you work in another county, it'd have to be turned over to them.
And this is why they said, look, she could come in through the back. She could come in, you know,
different times when it won't be so obvious.
But that didn't happen.
They made it come right through the front and sit down with everybody else.
It was like intentional to expose her.
Now, is this a racial thing, a religious thing?
What was the context?
Was this one person that was hell-bent on, you know, hurting your wife?
I can't, I don't know.
Sometimes people will have authority and they can do stuff.
They'd do it.
Yeah.
It doesn't necessarily have to be raised.
It could just be prejudiced in one way or another, you know.
Now, was this, was this somebody who worked at the Board of Education or at the schools,
or was this a private citizen that released?
No, this was in the health department.
Oh, really?
Yes.
Wow.
Were they trying to get out of paying for disability or medical issues or something?
Like I said, by that, I don't know, because when I,
When Jean came home that day, she told me what had happened.
So I just jumped in my car and I went down.
The principal was just leaving.
Confronted her, I told her what was going on, actually what was going on.
So they had to look in this thing in all kinds of ways.
And this was just the outcome she was going to be gone.
So I said, wow, that was shocking.
So I came home and, like I said, naturally,
I was trying to console her.
She loved children.
I mean, she was really good.
And for this to happen, and the way it did, it was, like I said, not good.
So what was in her medical report they were trying to damage her with?
Help us kind of understand.
I'm trying to lay a foundation for the story on what takes us to the Supreme Court.
It sounds like maybe the principal was in on it.
Okay.
Yeah.
It was a
Tuberculosis
Oh tuberculosis
But now they came out
Sharp
They didn't say
That term
They said TB
You know
I mean they wanted to make sure
It got some attention
It was
It was like
Like I said
She was real sensitive
I mean she just broke down
But like I said
To battle like that
I mean
I mean, who can you go to?
Yeah.
Now, so she had tuberculosis, in fact?
And then I know that tuberculosis is highly spreadable.
So were they trying to, now, there was something also you mentioned that she would have to come in the back.
Was that because she had tuberculosis?
No, this was to more or less protect her from scandals.
Oh, from people that might be out front being jerks.
Yeah.
Now, Tjberg-Alasis is highly contagious.
Were they firing her or giving her time off to deal with it?
What happened, like I said, and naturally we was concerned because I had talked to the doctor that told us that he was going to release it.
But he was just saying that, you know, really is now it's almost not contagious at all because they can.
arrest that in a matter of
minutes, shots.
So it's not like it used
to be when, it used
to be hospitalized a person
for heaven.
Yeah. But now, like I say,
it's something that can be
checked
almost immediately. This is why
like I say, I personally,
we both personally
wanted to find out about it. So we
got a lawyer.
Yeah.
And you said, I told him if it was something that was really contagious and stuff like that,
we would willingly step back and let it go, you know.
Now, I don't mean to correct you, but there is, you know, we try to platform misinformation.
It's according to what I'm seeing online through, you know, this is Google,
active TV does require a strict regimen of antibiotics for at least six to nine months
and cannot be cured right away.
Now, that's an issue.
I do know it's highly contagious because I've worked with hospitals and stuff like that.
And it's a big issue in hospitals because, you know,
you're in confined space with stuff.
But releasing your medical history is against HIPAA laws.
And HIPAA, HIPPA-EA, I think it is, or HIPPAPA, is a big deal.
And so you said you talked to the doctor and he was the one who made the decision to release it?
No, no.
He had to release it to the health department.
Oh, he had to tell the health department that she had picked up TV.
Yeah.
But like I said, but she had been treated and everything.
So actually they have what they called it, it would have spritum tests and stuff like that.
Okay.
Like I said, but it was, I had went to the health department as well.
They were just saying in her case, no, it was almost,
and so that she had could spread anything, you know.
So what do you feel?
The health department was, was there any knowledge or data or discovery that you came upon
and this legal challenge to find out why these people in the health department of the board,
of this education group, but decided they wanted to, you know, make your wife, you know,
her life horrible?
Well, I don't know.
Like I say, it was like,
a lot of things happen
that this was
just a matter of
a done deal
this was going to be
shoot that's going to be
removed because actually
they said they had testimony more than one time
and as a result
it was always come back positive
you know so that's why she had to go
and and this is when
like I said it
talking to those ones
that had authority
they're saying
really it's
nothing that's going to happen.
This is going to be a done deal.
She's going to be gone, you know.
Wow.
And like I say, and it's not a handicap, so it's nothing we can do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That shows your even latent TB dormant requires treatment, typically three to nine months.
But it was there a lot of the time in your state that the health departments of organizations need to be notified if certain diseases like TB?
be, I think there's other, there's other highly contagious stuff that needs, has to be disclosed.
Like, I think herpes has some regulations and stuff like that.
I'm not sure.
I'm not a professional in this field, folks.
But was there a law that said, you know, that needed to take place at the time?
What was the, what was the precedent or the legal statute that you were finding with
that this, that you eventually took the Supreme Court?
Like I said, they brought in doctors, stuff like that.
one doctor in particular, and she testified that she recommended her being removed.
Okay.
And like I said, so that's when it started into the court system.
We went to the governor, and he ruled on our behalf, in other words.
And then it went to the state Supreme Court.
And at that time, Jean was expecting our youngest child.
You know, like I said, she was just born.
And they, it was one lady justice.
And she was saying, we brought the child there to try to get sympathy.
But that doesn't work with her, you know.
Yeah.
I said, we just didn't have the money to hire anyone.
And we had to drive to Tallahassee anyway, you know.
Yeah.
It wasn't because of trying to.
to impress somebody, you know.
But anyway, she, they ruled,
the Florida State Supreme Court ruled against her.
But actually, I don't want to go too much into this
and because what's happening,
we want people to read the book.
Yeah, we don't want to give away too much.
That's it.
Yeah.
But let me give you a little background, Gene, and myself.
Sure.
I remember when I was,
we was next to the neighbors.
Not initially.
I was there.
I was stab with my honor and uncle.
When they was built in the house, I said, I hope a little girl moved in next door.
Oh, sorry, I won't do that.
My daughter told me to put it on me.
I was hoping a little girl moved in.
And the car moved, drove up, and three boys came out.
I said, oh, my goodness.
And then after that, a young lady came and she got out.
I said, oh, that's it.
and she became my best friend.
Really?
Okay.
And see, I'm going to tell you, you asked me how old I was,
but now this was in 1953.
That's been a long time.
And really, we really good friends.
And then, like I said, she did have an occurrence during that time.
So she went during that time, they hospitalized you.
And at that time, like I said, we kind of like got apart for a while, you know, but after that, we got back together.
And like I said, after that, we, she and I saw him another and we got married.
And like I said, so actually, we had to go through this situation what we're talking about now in the co-system.
Yeah. What year was this that you started this battle to the Supreme Court?
This was, it was in 1979.
Wow.
So that's about wow.
Yeah. Now, you, it said in the bioreeting they did that you guys, this was the inspiration for the movie Philadelphia?
Yes.
How did that come about?
This was when they got to the Supreme Court, the matter of fact,
even before that,
when it went to the,
like I say,
back to the federal court,
they rule
on our behalf.
And they
appeal that to the United States
Supreme Court.
Oh, wow.
And that's how I got there
concern. And then they
switched it off on the AIDS situation,
you know.
The age situation?
Yeah, they were saying,
during that time, they were saying,
AIDS was contagious. Oh, the AIDS situation.
Yes. Okay.
But that's how I got to the Supreme Court, like I say.
But I'm telling it, it's just so much that it would just take a hour to just go through the things that we had to go through.
Yeah.
We want people to read the book, so we're just going to tease out a few high points.
Now, you use the phrase, six stones for Goliath in the title.
Tell us what those are and what Goliath.
Elias symbolizes in the world for you.
All right.
Okay.
Six stones, that's the six court cases.
Because you know, like the five stones in the, and with, with collies, you know,
and even even one.
All he needed was one, yeah.
But the thing is showing you that this was almost an impossible feat.
Yeah.
Like I said, they're saying, you don't have no chances with this.
This is not going nowhere.
you know so for you to
we're in this case
you need to look somewhere else because
it's it's
you don't have a chance
but for it to come off
7 to 2
I mean that let you know
just how flawed
this situation was it was
the judges and we said justice that's what we want
and like I say so this is what this book is about
justice and that's
for everybody.
Showing you could come from a dirt road.
That means you're kind of lowering the chain.
Yeah.
To get to the United States Supreme Court, that's unthinkable.
Yeah.
That is.
It takes a lot to make that happen.
Nine years.
That's a long time to have to wait for resolution on a case.
And I had a principal.
He said, Gene and I was his best students.
And he had a term you use stick.
stick toativity.
Stictuitivity.
That means that you don't give up.
Don't give up.
Never give up.
That's it.
So that's, like I say, so he said, the only thing that he regret,
I try to get him the reporters and stuff to take pictures of, he, they said, no, he's
not important.
We don't want his picture, you know.
I will say this.
He had, Jean had a seizure in the coat.
now this is what you got to read
because it was
this was interesting
and he said
his daughter
I mean his niece
she was a nurse
she said he said
don't take off your clothes
get out there to see gene
I can't go because I'm sick
but I want you to go
and she said my uncle
never did nothing like that to nobody
you know
so y'all must be special
because she would let me change clothes
just go and let her know
we're there for
I'm there for, and the only reason I'm not there because I'm sick.
That's the one that came up with that stick to activity.
Yeah.
Was there ever a time where you wanted to quit?
I mean, I would, you know, even in my state, I don't have any health issues or any issues.
You know, spending nine years fighting, you know, I know the sort of battles it takes to get the Supreme Court and the time and, and, you know, there's money involved, too, if you have to pay for attorneys.
Was there ever a time you wanted to quit?
never
never
never did
see
I don't know
whether you can see this
or not
can you see that
give me one sec
for the computer
to kick in
happiness
is being married
your best friend
that's it
see
and that's what
she was my best friend
we were the best friend
of each other
oh wow
and
and really like I said
but it's a lot more
to that
than just those nine years
Jean had
rheumatoor arthritis as well
Oh wow
And she
The doctor said that
He had never seen it
Happened so quick
It was like an explosion
That she had
With the rheumatoor arthritis
She fell outside
She went to see my uncle
And she fell
On the concrete
They had a break in the concrete
And she fell
And I was taking pictures
And they took
and they wanted to take my camera.
I said, no.
I said, and so anyway,
she was something different now.
She was pregnant for 20 years.
20 years she was veteran.
Wow.
Batheumatoid arthritis.
Let me show you something.
If you have time, I don't you see this?
Yeah, we got to.
This is how badden she was.
This is something you have to put up under the slider.
in the bed.
You see that?
She, like I said,
I used us to move her to,
where she couldn't even sit on the side of bed.
Oh, wow.
So you used that to move her
so that she could get some movement and get some circulation?
To move it.
Like I said,
but this was 20 years of course.
Uh-huh.
So the doctor didn't give him about five years to live.
Really?
And she lived 20.
Oh, good for her.
That means, see the thing,
I want to let you know,
if a person feel like
there, they're a burden on somebody,
they'll just give up.
Yeah.
So let me just go.
You know, but that's going back to what it says.
It happens with being married to your best friend.
Yeah.
So you're married for life, but you see so much today,
people marry, and the next thing you know, they go.
Oh, yeah.
They give up when you get a cold.
You're just like, I think I have a,
cold. Oh, hey, you're going to die. I'm out. I'm not sticking here through the, you know,
that's another thing, like I said, I wanted this out there when people could really
realize the seriousness of the commitment that you make when you marry somebody.
If you find out, just give an example, my nephew, my mother was 102 when she died.
Really?
No, no, I'm sorry, 102 before she was 104 where she was.
died. But when she was a hundred and two, my nephew came, he and his wife and children,
and he was talking, and I was videoing, and they were just saying how good a marriage that
they had, it was like 50-50. And I said, well, that's not good. Oh, yeah. I said, oh, yes,
it's good, because both of us willing to. I said, let me cut the camera off. I said, let me tell you
something. I said, so now, you said, 50-50, right? I said, so now one of y'all gets sick
an accident and maybe
the face or something getting disfigured
that person can't do
the 50.
Yeah. I said, so if it's not based on
loyalty and faithfulness,
what good is it?
And they said, cut the camera back on.
We then reconsider
it's got to be 100,000.
Yeah.
But that's what you need to know, really.
And I'm just glad, Gene, and I was
able to be able to stay together.
And that's why I showed you this.
with this thing that I had to put up, put this thing up on it for her to even sit on the side of the bed.
Yeah.
So this is why this book is important as well, showing the, you can't give up.
You got to be there all the way.
Yep.
And so many people that just give up down and run.
I mean, that's kind of the thing.
The average marriage now only lasts like seven years.
And seeing it based on money and stuff like that.
that. Oh, yeah. That's crazy. It's pretty
wild. That's why I'm still single.
What's an story from the...
Here's the question I wanted to ask you. I like these questions.
So not a lot of people get to experience what it feels like
to have your case, number one, taken and approved by the Supreme Court.
And number two, to win, what does that feel like to
when you get the word that, hey, your case is important enough
that the Supreme Court's looking into it?
and they feel that they want to rule on this.
What does that feel like?
Because most people will never experience that probably.
Right.
Like I say, it feels real good that it's even going to be considered by the Supreme Court.
And like I say, to win it, that is really something that you just can't imagine.
Because everybody told you, this is not going to go to nowhere.
You know, you should forget that, you know.
And not just come off, you come off when you don't want it.
That's a whole different picture.
See, but that kind of thing that's why it's called justice.
We were talking about it wasn't raised, religion, or politics, justice.
And that's exactly what we were looking for.
The only thing I'm kind of sad about is that Gene wouldn't be here to see a book been put out.
And, you know, it was put in the museum, and they took it down.
I said, you know.
Really?
Yeah.
I said, you know, that's not, you know, they said, the other thing is more important.
I said, oh, my goodness.
I said, somebody have a preceding case.
And that's not, you got something that's more important than that, you know.
That's a wild.
It's a wild world, man.
It's a wild world.
People have to buy the book and read the book and, you know, what a story, what a journey you guys did through life and supporting each other.
You know, this is something you just don't see anymore.
But there's a different sort of character back then.
But, you know, people can read the book that can understand the impact.
How did you finance this?
I mean, it usually takes a lot of attorneys to work a case all the way that far.
How did that work out?
How did you find help?
Maybe that can help some other people who need to find help in the future.
Yeah.
But like I said, let me let you know this.
With this, it was like, you know, who can you look to?
Who can you turn to?
And like you said, for nine years, and you just had about for us winning,
it was a couple came by my house.
And they said, look, we don't want nothing from you.
We just want to shake your hand.
Because it's been a simple situation with us.
Oh, wow.
And it's been about a year.
And you're talking about nine years.
we even with our parents we go by the house sometime they start shedding the blinds oh wow
and if they then cook some barbecue they put it in the refrigerator you know so he said for y'all to go
10 years you know i mean nine years that's that's the feat yeah yeah definitely is so really like
said but we had a lot of like said the media at the time we were
walked in and you were talking about racial, and that's why we couldn't say anything about race,
because everybody in that, when we walked into the newspaper, everybody was white, and they assigned
a columnist to work with us and everything. He was right there. Most cases that we had, he was there.
And they wrote editorials also about this particular case. So that's like I said, and then you had a person
did what they called amicus briefs amicus briefs yeah see so therefore like I said so we had that
kind of support you know like I said so wow this is why we didn't say couldn't say it was racial
religious because we didn't have nobody really and this is why like I say it was kind of like a
feat for us to get from that point all the way to the United States of people and one thing I wanted
and again, see, so now, and
Jean was almost like blackball. She couldn't work.
It was overqualified or whatever, you know,
and it was all on me.
Wow.
And at a time, I was,
let me tell you, I was a janitor.
You know, like, janitor's going to make a whole lot of money, you know.
Yeah.
But I had to work sometimes seven days a week in order to keep things going.
Oh, wow.
See, but I was happy to be.
able to do it.
And the thing is, to keep my family together, and I wanted them all to be up in the
one roof, and that happened.
I mean, I was just thankful to be able to do what I did.
So I did nothing spoilt.
I just did what was necessary and what I should have did.
And let's see, happiness of being married to your best friend.
You're not too good a friend if you can't be there for your family.
That's true.
That is true.
Now, as we go out, give people a final pitch out to order up your book, find out more from you,
and I don't know if is there any forthcoming books maybe coming up here?
This one here is, like I say, kind of like it, it could be international because, like I say,
because it could affect almost everybody.
But like I said, but I do want it to be when it be in the school system, when, and really, like I said,
it's cheap enough.
It's got ebooks and stuff like that.
So therefore, like I say, it could be inexpensive for anybody to get it, you know.
But you have this here can let you know that you can't succeed if you don't give up.
You can't succeed if you don't give up.
Yeah.
One amazing story.
What amazing journey.
And I'm glad you wrote about it and stuff like that.
And, you know, just celebrate the life that you led.
And I bet you have impacted probably millions of people, if not how.
hundreds of thousands of people with the decision that the Supreme Court set, that set of precedence to,
to, you know, give personal rights to people.
Does that sound about right?
That sounds good.
That's what's surprising.
And they have a person, like, Gene didn't get a chance to hear, and it's been recorded.
They're good marshals talking, you know, about this case, you know.
Yeah.
So that was one of the things that was in the museum.
And they took that down.
Wow.
That's interesting.
As we go out, give people.coms, tell them where they can find out more about you in the book, etc., etc.
or any websites you might have.
And now, like I said, I know Amazon and, like I said, probably YouTube and Facebook probably have it.
You know, Barnes & Noble, they should have it.
Most of them should have it now, you know.
But like I say, it wouldn't be that hard to find it, you know, like I say.
so
everybody that
really to try to get a copy of it anyway
thank you very much for coming
this show Charles it's been delightful to have you in an honor
it's been my pleasure
you've been good and I can say you're
best hosts
that you can have
thank you very much I certainly appreciate that
I've done one or two shows
and we'll always work to get better
2,800 shows in fact to be exact
but one or two
One of 2000.
So thank you.
16 years, we've been podcasting.
We're the oldest podcasts still broadcasting.
Yeah, we've done one or two of these shows.
So thank you very much, Charles, for coming to the show.
Thanks, John, for listening.
And we're up Charles' book, where refined books are sold.
From a dirt road to the United States Supreme Court,
six stones for Goliath out February 20th, 20th, 26th,
by Charles Arline, Senior.
Thanks for tuning in to my audience.
Be good to each other.
Stay safe.
We'll see you guys next time.
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Anyway, guys, we have an amazing man on the show.
We're going to be talking about his insightful new book
that's probably very important.
and one of the reasons we made Hippelaws in this country, it's entitled, From a Dirt Road to the United States Supreme Court, Six Stones for Goliath, out February 20th, 2026 by Charles Arline, Sr.
We're going to get into it with his book, find out more about these details and the fight that he took to the Supreme Court, which is quite honestly a Goliath versus, who's the David and Goliath story, all that good stuff.
Charles Rline Sr. is the author of the aforementioned book.
He was raised in the rural South.
He and his wife fought a nine-year legal battle that reached the Supreme Court of the United States
resulting in a landmark.
Seven to two victory that advanced protections for disabled Americans.
Their story inspired them.
I'm sorry, their story inspired the film Philadelphia.
Charles now shares a message of perseverance, justice, faith, and family.
Welcome to the show, sir, how are you?
It's good, good to be in with you too.
This was a privilege to being able to do this show with you.
It's a privilege to have you on, sir.
It's an honor to have you as well.
And give us a dot-com's websites, social media,
where we want people to contact you
and get to know you better on the internet.
Like I said, you got YouTube, Facebook,
you have any media outlets.
I mean, like I said, we're looking forward to Amazon or whatever.
to pick this book up because actually it's one that, like I said, I think it affects everybody.
Many people that can have it, especially the schools, libraries and stuff like that,
the young people need to know about history.
A lot of times history just swept up under a rug and people don't know why is there
no other person that really was instrumental in this coming about.
This is what I wanted to be out there when everybody
can have a copy of this book.
And we need to get the word out there.
Give us a 30,000 overview of what this book is about.
It's about my wife, Gene, and myself.
This was about a precedented case.
She had a continuing contract
saying that she could not be fired for personal illness.
And they went into her medical records
and exposed that to the media.
Wow.
Being fired is bad by itself.
But with someone going to your mother,
matter of history and use that to do it.
I mean, that's damaging.
It's hurtful.
And something that really is hard to deal with.
Who did she work for?
She worked for the school.
She was a school teacher.
Okay.
She taught in Nassau County Elementary School.
And she had to work there for years.
And like I said, to have this information put out.
We live in Jacksonville, but she had to drive about 50 miles every day one way.
to go to
Yes, one way
To be a teacher
And you know
Teachers is so wonderful
My mother's was a teacher
For 20 some odd years
Sister
We've had a lot of great teachers
On the show
And they're the people
Who really move this world
And influence the youth
For a lifetime
Now what was the impetus
You know
There's HIPAA laws
I believe HIPAA laws
Are supposed to prevent
The release of
Or keep our records
Confidential
At least until Doge went
and got everything and gave it to planetur.
That's another story.
But what was the motivation behind releasing her records?
What was the attempt that they were trying to do to damage her?
It was like they said, people need to know this.
And once they said, I know somebody in the media,
and it should be given to them.
And it happened.
But even prior to this,
it was exposed.
They were saying because she lived in Jacksonville,
and she had an occurrence,
and a doctor was saying, look,
there's nothing wrong.
You're not going to affect anyone.
But like I said, because you work in another county,
it'd have to be turned over to them.
And this is why they said, look,
she could come in through the back.
She could come in, you know,
different times when it won't be so obvious.
but that didn't happen.
They made it come right through the front and sit down with everybody.
It was like intentional to expose her.
Now, was this a racial thing, a religious thing?
What was the context?
Was this one person that was hell-bent on, you know, hurting your wife?
I can't, I don't know.
Sometimes people would have authority and they could do stuff.
They'd do it.
Yeah.
It doesn't necessarily have to be raised.
It could just be.
prejudice in one way or another, you know.
Now, was this, was this somebody who worked at the board of education or at the schools,
or was this a private citizen that released?
No, this was in the health department.
Oh, really?
Yes.
Wow.
Were they trying to get out of paying for disability or, or medical issues or something?
Like I said, by that, I don't know, because when I, when Gene came home that day,
she told me what had happened.
So I just jumped in my car and I went down and I, the principal was just leaving.
Confronted her, I told her what was going on, actually what was going on.
So they had to look in this thing all kinds of ways and this was just the outcome she was going to be gone.
So I said, wow, that was shocking.
So I came home and like I said, naturally I was trying to console her.
she loved children
I mean she was really good
and for this to happen
and the way it did it was
like I said not good
so what was in her medical report
they were trying to damage her with
help us kind of understand
I'm trying to lay a foundation for the story
on what takes us to the Supreme Court
it's it sounds like maybe the principal
was in on it
uh
okay
yeah
it was it was a
tuberculosis.
Oh, tuberculosis.
But now they came out
sharp. They didn't say
that term. They said
TB, you know.
I mean, they wanted to make sure
it got some attention.
It was like
like I said, she was
real sensitive. I mean, she just
broke down. But like I said, to
battle like that, I mean,
I mean, who can you go to?
Yeah.
Now, so she had tuberculosis, in fact?
And then I know that tuberculosis is highly spreadable.
So were they trying to, now, there was something also you mentioned that she would have to come in the back.
Was that because she had tuberculosis?
No, no, this was to more or less protect her from scandals.
Oh, from people that might be out front, being jerks.
Yeah.
Now, to bergola's, this is highly contagious.
Were they firing her or giving her time off to deal with it?
What happened, like I said, and naturally we was concerned because I had talked to the doctor that told us that he was going to release it.
But he was just saying that, you know, really is now it's almost not contagious at all because they can't.
arrest that in a matter of
minutes, shots.
So it's not like it used
to be when, it used
to be a hospitalized person
for heaven.
Yeah. But now, like I say,
it's something that can be
checked
almost immediately. This is why
like I say, I personally,
we both personally want to
find out about it. So we
got a lawyer.
Yeah.
And you said, I told him if it was something that was really contagious and stuff like that, we would willingly step back and let it go, you know.
Now, I don't mean to correct you, but there is, you know, we try to platform misinformation.
It's according to what I'm seeing online through, you know, this is Google, active TV does require a strict regimen of antibiotics for at least six to nine months and cannot be cured.
right away. Now,
that's an issue. I do know it's highly contagious
because I've worked with hospitals and stuff like that.
And it's a big issue in hospitals because
you know, you're in confined space with stuff.
But releasing your medical history
is against HIPAA laws.
And HIPAA, HIPPA-EA, I think it is, or HIPPAPA,
is a big deal. And so you
said you talked to the doctor and he
was the one who made the decision to release it?
No, no.
He had to release it to the health department.
Oh, he had to tell the health department that she had picked up TV.
Yeah, but like I said, but she had been treated and everything.
So actually they have what they called it was a sperm test and stuff like that.
Okay.
Like I said, but it was I had went to the health department as well.
They were just saying in her case, no, it was almost.
Okay.
that she had could spread anything, you know.
So what do you feel in the health department was, was there any knowledge or data or discovery
that you came upon and this legal challenge to find out why these people in the health
department of the board, this education group decided they wanted to, you know, make your wife,
you know, her life horrible?
Well, I don't know.
Like I say, it was like a lot of things happened.
Like I said, that this was just a matter of a done deal.
This was going to be shoot.
That's going to be removed because actually they said they had tested her more than one time.
And as a result, it was always come back positive, you know.
So that's why she had to go.
And this is where, like I said, talking to those ones that had authority,
they're saying really nothing that's going to happen.
this is going to be a dime deal
and she's going to be gone, you know.
Wow.
And like I say,
and it's not a handicap,
so it's nothing we can do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That shows your even latent TB dormant
requires treatment,
typically three to nine months,
but it was there a lot of the time in your state
that the health departments of organizations
need to be notified
if certain diseases like TB,
I think there's other
highly contagious stuff
that has to be disclosed
like I think herpes has some regulations
and stuff like that. I'm not sure
I'm not a professional in this field folks.
But was there a law that said
you know that needed to take place
at the time? What was the
precedent or the legal
statute that you were finding with
that you eventually took the Supreme Court?
Like I said they brought in
doctors and stuff like that.
One doctor
in particular.
And she testified that she
recommended her being removed.
Okay.
And like I said,
so that's when it started into the
court system.
We went to the governor
and he ruled in our behalf,
in other words.
And then it went to the state Supreme Court.
And at that time,
Gene was expecting
our youngest child, you know, like I said, she was just born and they, it was one lady
justice and she was saying, we brought the child there to try to get sympathy, but that
doesn't work with her, you know. Yeah. I said, we just didn't have the money to hire anyone.
And we had to drive to Tallahassee anyway, you know. Yeah. It wasn't because of trying to impress
somebody, you know. But anyway, she, they ruled, the state Supreme Court ruled against her.
But actually, I don't want to go too much into this and because what's happening,
we want people to read the book. Yeah, we don't want to give away too much.
That's it. Yeah. But let me give you a little background in Gene and myself. Sure.
I remember when I was, we was next to the neighbors. Not initially, I was there. I was
I stayed with my aunt and uncle.
When they was building the house, I said,
hope a little girl moved in next door.
Oh, sorry, I won't do that.
I said, my daughter told me to put it on me.
I was hoping a little girl moved in.
And the car moved, drove up,
and three boys came out.
I said, oh, my goodness.
And then after that, a young lady came,
and she got out.
I said, oh, that's it.
And she became my,
best friend.
Really?
Okay.
And see, I'm going to tell you, you asked me how old I was, but now this was in
1953.
That's been a long time.
And really, we, really good friends.
And then, like I said, she did have an occurrence during that time.
So she went during that time, they hospitalized you.
And at that time, like I said, we kind of like got apart for a while, you know, but after that, we got back together.
And like I said, after that, we, she and I saw him another and we got married.
And like I said, so actually, we had to go through this situation what we're talking about now in the coast.
Yeah.
What year was this that you started this battle with the Supreme Court?
were. This was, it was in
1979. Wow.
So that's about wow.
Yeah. Now you, you, it said in the
bioreeting they did that
you guys, this was the inspiration
for the movie Philadelphia?
Yes. How did that come about?
This was when they
got to the Supreme Court. They
matter of fact, even
before that, when it went
to the, like I say,
back to the federal court,
they rule
on our behalf
and they
appeal that to
the United States
Supreme Court. Oh, wow.
And that's how I got
their concern
and then they switched it off
on the AIDS situation, you know.
The age situation?
Yeah, they were saying
during that time, they were saying
AIDS was contagious. Oh, the
AIDS situation. Yeah.
Okay.
But that's how I got
to the Supreme Court, like I say,
But I'm telling it, it's just so much that it would just take an hour to just go through the things that we had to go through.
We want people to read the book, so we're just going to tease out a few high points.
Now, you use the phrase, six stones for Goliath in the title.
Tell us what those are and what Goliath symbolizes in the world for you.
All right.
Okay.
Six stone of us, six court cases.
Because you know what?
The fire stones
with collier.
You know,
and even even one.
All he needed was one, yeah.
But the thing is,
showing you that this was almost an impossible feat.
Like I said,
they're saying,
you don't have no chances with this.
This is not going nowhere.
You know,
so for you to,
when in this case,
you need to look somewhere else
because it's,
don't have a chance.
Wow.
But for it to come off
7 to 2,
I mean,
and I'd let you know
just how flawed
this situation was.
It was like the judges,
and we say justice,
that's what we want.
And like I said,
so this is what this book is about justice.
And that's for everybody.
So you want you to come from a dirt road.
That means you,
you kind of low on the chain.
Yeah.
to get to the United States Supreme Court, that's unthinkable.
Yeah, that is.
It takes a lot to make that happen.
Nine years, that's a long time to have to wait for resolution on a case.
And I had a principal.
He said Gene and I was his best students.
And he had a term you use stick toativity.
Stick toativity.
That means that you don't give up.
Don't give up.
Never give up.
That's it.
So that's, like I say, so he said, the only thing that he regret it,
I tried to get him the reporters and stuff to take pictures of, he, they said, no,
he's not important.
We don't want this picture.
You know, as I will say this, he had, Gene had a seizure in the coat.
Now, this is what you got to read because it was, this was interesting.
And he said, his daughter,
me his niece to say she was a nurse she said he said don't take off your clothes get out there to
see gene and i can't go because i'm sick but i want you to go she said she said my uncle never did
nothing like that to nobody you know so y'all must be special because she'd let me change clothes
just go and let her know we're there for i'm there for and the only reason i'm not there because
i'm sick that's the one that came up with that stick to activity yeah was there ever a time where
you wanted to quit? I mean, I would, you know, even in my state, I don't have any health issues
or any issues, you know, spending nine years fighting, you know, I know the sort of battles it takes
to get to the Supreme Court and the time and, and, you know, there's money involved, too,
if you have to pay for attorneys. Was there ever time you wanted to quit?
Never, never, never, never did. Never did. See, this, yeah, I don't know whether you can see
just not. Can you see that?
Give me one sec for the computer to kick in.
Happiness is being married to your best friend.
That's it.
See, and that's what she was, my best friend.
We were the best friend of each other.
Oh, wow.
That's wonderful.
And really, like I said, but it's a lot more to that than just those nine years.
Gene had rheumato arthritis as well.
Oh, wow.
And she, the doctor said that.
he had never seen it happen so quick.
It was like an explosion that she had with the rheumatoid arthritis.
She fell outside.
She went to see my uncle, and she fell on the concrete.
They had a break in the concrete, and she fell.
And I was taking pictures, and they came and they wanted to take my camera.
I said, no.
I said, and so anyway, she was.
something different now.
She was bedding for 20 years.
20 years she was
bedridden, wow.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
Let me show you something. If you have time,
I don't you see this?
This
is how badden she was.
This is
something you have to put up under a slab
in the bed.
You see that? She, like I said,
I use this to
move her
she couldn't even sit on the side of bed.
Oh, wow.
So you used that to move her so that she could get some movement and get some circulation?
Like I said, but this was 20 years.
Uh-huh.
So the doctor didn't give them about five years to live.
Really?
And she lived 20.
Oh, good for her.
That means, see the thing, I want to let you know, if a person feel like they're burden on somebody, they'd just give up.
Yeah.
See, so let me just go, you know.
But that's going back to what it says.
It happens as being married to your best friend.
Yeah.
So you're married for life, but you see so much today people marry,
and the next thing you know, they go.
Oh, yeah.
They give up when you get a cold.
You're just like, I think I have a cold.
Oh, hey, you're going to die.
I'm out.
I'm not sticking here through the, you know.
That's another thing, like I said, I wanted this out there when people could really realize the seriousness of the commitment that you make when you marry somebody.
If you find out, just give you an example, my nephew, my mother was 102 when she died.
Really?
No, no, I'm sorry, 102 before she, she was 104 when she died.
But she was 102, my nephew came and he and his wife and children.
and they was talking and I was videoing
and they were just saying how good a marriage that they had
it was like 50-50
and I said well that's not good
oh yeah I said oh yes it's good
because both I was willing to I said let me cut the camera off
I said let me tell you something
I said so now you said 50-50 right
I said so now one of y'all gets sick
or in an accident and maybe the face or something
get disfigured
that person can't do the 50
Yeah.
I say, so if it's not based on loyalty and faithfulness, what good is it?
And they said, cut the camera back on.
We then reconsider it.
It's got to be 100, 100.
Yeah.
But that's what you need to know, really.
And I'm just glad, Gene, and I was able to be able to stay together.
And that's why I showed you this with this thing that I had to put this thing up on it for her to even.
sit on the side of the bed.
Yeah.
So this is why this book is important as well, showing the, you can't give up.
You got to be there all the way.
Yep. There's so many people that just give up down and run.
I mean, that's kind of the thing. The average marriage now only lasts like seven years.
And seeing it based on money and stuff like that.
Oh, yeah. That's crazy.
It's pretty wild. That's why I'm still single.
what's an story from the no here's the question i wanted to ask you i like these questions so not a lot of people get to
experience what it feels like to have your case number one taken and approved by the supreme court
and number two to win what does that feel like to when you get the word that hey your case is important
enough that the supreme court's looking into it and they feel that they want to rule on this what does that
feel like because most people will never experience that probably right like I say is it's feels real
good that it's even going to be considered by the Supreme court and like I say to win it that is
really something that you just can't imagine because everybody don't tell you this and that's not you know this
not going to go to nowhere you know you should forget that you know and not just come off you come off
when you don't want it.
That's a whole different picture.
See, but that kind of thing that's why it's called justice.
We started like it wasn't race, religion, or politics.
Justice.
And that's exactly what we were looking for.
The only thing I'm kind of sad about is that Gene wouldn't be here to see a book
been put out.
And, you know, it was put in the museum.
And they took it down.
I said, you know.
Really?
Yeah.
I say, you know, that's not, you know, they said,
other thing is more important.
I said, oh, my goodness.
I said, somebody have a precedented case.
And that's not, you got something that's more important than that, you know.
Wow.
It's a wild.
It's a wild world, man.
It's a wild world.
People have to buy the book and read the book.
And, you know, what a story.
What a journey you guys.
did through life and supporting each other.
You know, this is something you just don't see anymore.
There's a different sort of character back then.
But, you know, people can read the book that can understand the impact.
How did you finance this?
I mean, it usually takes a lot of attorneys to work a case all the way that far.
How did that work out?
How did you find help?
Maybe that can help some other people who need to find help in the future.
Yeah.
But like I said, let me let you know this.
It's with this, it was like, you know, who can you look to?
Who can you turn to?
And like you said, for nine years, and you just had about for us winning,
a couple came by my house, and they said, look, we don't want nothing from you.
We just want to shake your hand.
Because it's been a simple situation with us.
Oh, wow.
And it's been about a year.
And you're talking about nine years.
We, even with our parents, we go by the house sometime, they start shedding the blinds.
Oh, wow.
And if they cook some barbecue, they put it in the refrigerator, you know.
So he said, for y'all to go 10 years, you know, I mean, nine years, that's the feat.
Yeah.
That definitely is.
So really, like I said, but we had a lot of, like I said, the media at a time, we walked in and you were talking about racial.
And that's why we couldn't say anything about race.
because everybody in that, when we walked into the newspaper, everybody was white.
And they assigned a columnist to work with us and everything.
He was right there.
Most of the cases that we had, he was there.
And they wrote editorials also about this particular cage.
So like I said, and then you had a person did what they call Amicus Brees.
Amicus briefs, yeah.
So therefore, like I said, so we had that kind of support, you know, like I said.
So this is why we didn't say, couldn't say, it was racial, religious, because we didn't have nobody, really.
And this is why, like I say, it was kind of like a feat for us to get from that point all the way to the United States.
And one thing I wanted to keep my family to get to see so now, and Gene was going.
almost like black balls.
She couldn't work.
Wow.
So,
overqualified or whatever,
you know,
and so it was all on me.
Wow.
And at a time,
I was,
let me tell you,
I was a janitor.
You know,
like,
janitor's going to make a whole lot of money,
you know.
Yeah.
But I had to work sometimes seven days a week.
It ought to keep things going.
Oh,
wow.
See,
but I was happy to be able to do it.
So I had real love.
And the thing is,
to keep my family together and I wanted them all to be up under one roof and that happened.
I mean, I was just thankful to be able to do what I did.
So I did nothing spoilted.
I just did what was necessary and what I should have did.
Let's see, happiness of being married to your best friend.
You're not too good a friend if you can't be there for your family.
That's true.
That is true.
Now, as we go out, give people a final pitch out to order up your book, find out more from you,
and I don't know if is there any forthcoming books maybe coming up here?
This one here is, like I say, kind of like it could be international because like I say,
because it could affect almost everybody.
But like I said, but I do want it to be when it'd be in a school system,
and really, like I said, it's cheap enough.
It's got e-books and stuff like that.
So therefore, like I say, it could be inexpensive.
for anybody to get it, you know.
But you have this here and let you know
that you can't succeed
if you don't give up.
You can't succeed if you don't
give up. Yeah.
What an amazing story. What amazing journey.
And I'm glad you wrote about it
and stuff like that. And, you know,
just celebrate the life that you led.
And I bet you have impacted
probably millions of people, if not hundreds
of thousands of people with the decision
that the Supreme Court set,
that set a precedence to
to, you know, give personal rights to people.
Does that sound about right?
That sounds good.
That's what's surprising.
And they have a person, like,
Gene didn't get a chance to hear it.
And it's been recorded.
They're good marshals talking, you know, about this case, you know.
Yeah.
So that was one of the things that was in the museum.
And they took that down.
Wow.
That's interesting.
As we go out, give people.coms, tell them where they can find out more about you in the book, etc., etc.
Any websites you might have?
Now, like I said, I know Amazon and, like I said, probably YouTube and Facebook probably have it.
You know, Barnes & Noble, they should have it.
Most of them should have it now, you know.
But like I say, it wouldn't be that hard to find it, you know, like I say.
So everybody that really to try to get a copy.
copy of it anyway.
Thank you very much for coming
this show, Charles. It's been delightful to have you
in an honor. It's been my pleasure.
You've been good. I can say
you're the best hosts
that you can have. Thank you very
much. I certainly appreciate that. I've done
one or two shows and we'll always
work to get better.
2,800 shows, in fact,
to be exact, but one or two.
One or 2000.
So, thank you very
60 years. We've been
podcasting. We're the old.
oldest podcast still broadcasting.
So 20 episodes.
Yeah, we've done one or two of these shows.
So thank you very much, Charles, for coming to the show.
Thanks, Dronus for listening.
And word up Charles' book, where refined books are sold.
From a dirt road to the United States Supreme Court,
Six Stones for Goliath out February 20th, 20th, 26, by Charles Arline, Sr.
Thanks for tuning in to my audience.
Be good to each other.
Stay safe.
We'll see you guys next time.
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