San Francisco, CA, February 6, 2012—Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), the preeminent West Coast public interest organization representing the rights of women and girls, has named Noreen Farrell the organization’s new interim Executive Director. Current Executive Director Arcelia Hurtado has announced she will be leaving the organization to become the Deputy Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), a legal organization committed to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality. NCLR was once a project of ERA.

Farrell has been with ERA for eight years, and is currently the director of ERA’s litigation and legal programs as Managing Attorney. She has led ERA’s efforts to address sex discrimination at schools and in a variety of industries through policy work, legislative reform, and impact litigation. Farrell’s vision has led to the development of robust campaigns to empower girls at school, working families, and marginalized women workers. Farrell has written extensively and lectured across the nation on equal pay, family leave, caregiver discrimination, and other civil rights issues. She is a graduate of Yale University and the University of California Hastings College of Law.

Board of Directors Chair Beth H. Parker and Farrell thanked Hurtado for her hard work elevating ERA’s mission of advancing equal opportunity for women and girls through impact litigation and advocacy since joining the staff two years ago. Farrell hailed Hurtado as a “tireless advocate for the disenfranchised and a leader who will be sorely missed by staff.”

According to Parker, “While we will miss working with Arcelia on a daily basis, we are extremely confident that the organization is in good hands with Noreen, who has been responsible for directing ERA’s legal program. Noreen is highly respected by staff and the legal community. She is committed to ERA and passionate about its mission. The Board unanimously concluded she is the right person to lead ERA as we consider the best course for a permanent Executive Director.”

Hurtado, who will be available to assist Farrell with the transition over the next few weeks, noted that “this was an extremely difficult decision, but I am confident that ERA is in excellent shape with Noreen at the helm. Joining NCLR will allow me to continue my work on behalf of marginalized communities across the country.”

Farrell has focused ERA’s employment discrimination practice on the most marginalized women workers facing sexual harassment and unfair treatment, from retail workers in Dukes v. Wal-Mart to restaurant workers in Donaldson v. Lori’s Diner to janitorial workers in Bojorquez v. ABM. She obtained a multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of casino workers subjected to sexual harassment and wage and hour violations. Most recently, Farrell secured a landmark trial win in a Title IX case against the University of California on behalf of women wrestlers seeking equal sports opportunities, as well as significant injunctive relief through settlement for a related class of student athletes.

According to Farrell, “I am honored to serve as interim Executive Director at an organization that is impacting change for the better across the country. I look forward to continuing to pursue justice for women and girls as ERA has done for the last 38 years.”

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About ERA
Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), founded in 1974, is a national civil rights organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and educational access and opportunities for women and girls. Through its campaign approach—incorporating public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation—ERA seeks to assist women and girls throughout a life-long continuum: ensuring equality in their educational experience, combating sex discrimination in the workforce, and advocating for workplaces hospitable to working families. To learn more about ERA’s work, visit www.equalrights.org.

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