In the latest twist, two white fire captains named John Tohill and Chris Burton are receiving a total of $1.6 million dollars (more than Pierce received) by arguing that they were discriminated against by the Fire Department in the resulting circular firing squad in the aftermath of public scrutiny of the Department's reaction to the Tennie Pierce incident.
From the Los Angeles Times coverage:
In the last two years, the 3,900-member department -- considered among the nation's best -- has been rocked by allegations of unchecked racism, discrimination and harassment that have cost taxpayers more than $13 million in legal payouts, not including Monday's verdict. Among the payouts was a $6.2-million jury award last summer to Brenda Lee, who alleged that she was harassed off the force because she is black and a lesbian.The Daily News article on the case finishes with this money quote from the President of United Firefighters of Los Angeles, Steve Tufts, on the behavior of the Fire Department in the wake of the Tennie Pierce case.
But to many white firefighters, the Pierce case came to symbolize a disciplinary system skewed in favor of women and nonwhite firefighters.
"When it comes to a minority -- female or male -- and there's the word 'discrimination,' everybody runs and hides and puts their heads in the sand," said Capt. Mark Khitikian, a 34-year veteran. "The department is afraid to look at these things fairly."
[...]
Under the jury award returned Monday, Burton, who will be retiring in the next few years, received $507,500 for past pain and suffering, $72,500 for future pain and suffering and $11,808 in past lost earnings. Tohill received $467,250 in lost future earnings, $367,500 for past pain and suffering, $210,000 for future pain and suffering, and $7,488 in past lost earnings. The nine-woman, three-man panel was majority white but included four Latinos and at least one Asian.
"What kind of investigation is it where everybody gets paid?"
"But to many white firefighters, the Pierce case came to symbolize a disciplinary system skewed in favor of women and nonwhite firefighters."
ReplyDeleteThis is why the taxpayers will continue to pay these mulit-million dollar verdicts, the good old boys just refuse to see that they can't treat people of color, or ones gender/sexuality the way they did in the 1950's. With every step forward, it seems as though this country is still taking two backwards.
All this money paid out in lawsuits could be used for things that matter, like better schools, health care and housing, instead, its got to be paid out for racial and sexual intolerance, that the good old boys refuse to learn how to deal with other who are not like them. Just disgusting in 2008 that this sort of suit is still in the courts and viable.