It is uncommon for the federal government to step in and file charges in a local discrimination lawsuit, but such is the case in Queens at a local high school, where charges were filed against the New York City Education Department on the grounds of racial discrimination.
The suit claims that the school’s principal specifically targeted teachers to have them removed. According to a United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, an assistant principal made racist remarks stating that one of the teachers, “looked like a gorilla in a sweater” and referred to her “nappy hair” and stated that to another. Such damning statements may prove vital in confirming the prosecutor’s case. The suit goes on to state that the principal tried to discipline someone because the person failed to file a negative report against the teachers.
The defendant adamantly denied the charges and accusations, stating that the allegations were horrible and that she is upset that they were even attributed to her. She also stated that as a minority herself, she would never tolerate the behavior and social injustice against people according to their race.
There are federal, state and local laws in order to protect employees from race discrimination in the workplace. But, it is not uncommon for workplace discrimination to continue if they are not reported. To protect all employees and ever future employers at work, it is crucial to report racial discrimination instances so that the situation can be properly addressed and corrected.
Source: The New York Times, “In Lawsuit, U.S. Says Queens School Discriminated Against 3 Black Teachers,” Benjamin Weiser, June 9, 2016