HRC_Columbus

Join the Adventure! It’s Free! And you could win an iPad

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:35:50 -0400

Join the Adventure! It’s Free! And you could win an iPad

Join "Adventures in DiversCity" TODAY!

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:59:00 -0400

“Adventures in DiversCity” is a new community-wide diversity program sponsored by the Human Rights Commission and Mill Race Center. If you decide to register and join the “Adventure”, this is how “Adventures in DiversCity” works:Each participant receives a Diversity Plan at the kickoff of the event. The kickoff event is on August 23rd, at 5:30 pm in City Hall. The goal is for each participant to compete for a grand prize by completing their diversity plan.

Each plan has a variety of diverse events ranging from different religious, ethnic, inter-generational, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender), and other events. We’ll help participants explore various community diversity events and programs that many have often wondered about – for instance, we’ll help participants find out what happens at the Chinese New Year’s Celebration or what kinds of films are shown at the CAMEO Film Festival!

Participants will walk away with a new understanding of cultures, religions, or lifestyles different from their own. Our goal is reached when cross-cultural understanding occurs!

Along the way, there will be a few incentives to keep our participants motivated to attend as many events and programming activities as possible.

At our finale event, the winner(s) will be announced and the prizes will be awarded.

With our “Adventures in DiversCity”, not only will we promote diversity, we will also raise awareness of the many diverse organizations and their events to the community that some residents may be unaware of.

So to register, we are requesting you to complete an entry form. Email humanrights@columbus.in.gov to request an entry form or call us at 812-376-2532 to request an entry form in the mail.

You also can check out our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/columbusadventure.

If you have any more questions, feel free to contact the Human Rights office at 812-376-2532.

Sincerely,

The DiversCity Team

Photo

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:09:01 -0400

Jack Markell, NGA Chairman, Will Focus On Jobs For The Disabled

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:37:31 -0400

Jack Markell, NGA Chairman, Will Focus On Jobs For The Disabled

Ivy Tech Gallery of Fine Art & Design to host art exhibition...

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:59:47 -0400

Ivy Tech Gallery of Fine Art & Design to host art exhibition on post-apartheid South Africa

The Gallery of Fine Art & Design at Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus/Franklin will host a photographic exhibit titled “Looking for the Rainbow: A cultural collage of the Western Cape Province in post-apartheid South Africa.” The exhibit will run from May 21 through August. An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. in the gallery. A panel discussion, focusing on current human rights in post-apartheid South Africa, including William Rasdell, the exhibit artist; Gil Palmer, president of the Human Rights Commission; and John Roberts, dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Ivy Tech, will follow from 6:00 until 7:00 p.m. The public is invited to both the reception and the panel discussion.

The focus of the exhibit, according to the photographer, is for the images “to present a portrait of a people as they strive to achieve Nelson Mandela’s vision of the Rainbow Nation.” The photographs portray the mixed race of the “Coloured” communities in the Western Cape Province, who, although the largest cultural group in the province, consider themselves the most marginalized. Today, under Black majority rule, this group is experiencing extremely high unemployment, drug abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and gang violence, not unlike during the days of apartheid.

The internationally-known photographer, William Rasdell, has enjoyed solo and group exhibitions at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the University of Indianapolis, the Indiana State Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian & Western Art, and the Domont Gallery, all in Indianapolis. Elsewhere, he has shown at the Universal Art Gallery in Memphis; the Academica San Alejandro Academy of Fine Art in Havana, Cuba; the Richmond Museum of Art; the Evan Lurie Gallery in Carmel, Indiana; the Duotone Gallery in Cape Town, South Africa; the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy; and the Fire Patrol #5 Gallery in New York.

Information: Jan Banister, jbaniste@ivytech.edu or 812-374-5148.

A Thought for Columbus “Broaden your Horizons and BE the Difference” By Frances Jordan On April...

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:21:55 -0400

A Thought for Columbus

“Broaden your Horizons and BE the Difference”

By Frances Jordan

On April 19^th, the Human Rights Commission celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of its existence, and what a celebration it was. Yet, the work must continue within the community. Many times when I am asked where I work, I reply, “The Human Rights Commission, we are a civil rights agency”. Occasionally I get the response, “well, what do you do”? My response is always “We file complaints based on race, sex, gender, religion, disability, natural origin/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity”…. that occur in the city limits in employment, education, housing, and sometimes public accommodation and credit. Now after I say that mouthful, more often than not, and to my dismay, they respond, “Well, we don’t have a lot of those issues these days”. This may be true, if we compare the way America was just 50 years ago. Today’s society has become more aware of diversity and inclusion, and removing the bigot that lives inside all of us, but there are many times those same acts of discrimination occur today and we cannot ignore them. I think we often look at the civil rights movement and see how bad it got for blacks and other minority groups that we trivialize the issues that occur today. Discrimination against sex, race, religion, disability, etc. still happens today and in a REAL way. We as a people have come so far and should not be so quick to dismiss instances of discrimination that still are occurring. We cannot turn a deaf ear because we as a people are better, but we are not perfect, and we will never obtain that unreachable goal of perfection, but we can try to reach as far as possible.

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe. There are new challenges and for different groups of people, such as the LGBT community, and persons with mental illnesses, to name just a few. We as a community continue to struggle with these issues, and sometimes our values or beliefs do conflict with these issues and tell us how to make choices and operate, and that’s okay. But discrimination is not a value or belief that anyone should hold dear - we can never give up on a spirit of equality for all - without that spirit we can never truly be a welcoming community. Each of us must continue to Broaden our Horizons….

One thing I have learned since working for the Human Rights Commission for almost a year is that. In addition to applying the law, broadening one’s horizons in is important to creating understanding among other groups and eliminating discrimination. For example, I’m a black female. And religiously, I am Seventh - Day Adventist, therefore, I am a Christian. But my religious experience is very different than many other Christians. I have had my share of experiences or of discrimination and stereotypical thinking and behavior, but never was I aware of the needs of say, persons with disabilities until now. Most Americans are not unless they have a family member or friend who is disabled, or if they have aging parents whose needs have changed. Beyond never parking in a handicapped parking spot, I was not aware.

So in my new job, as we plan for events or activities, or just based on stories from clients, I became more familiar with concerning myself with the needs of persons in wheelchairs, persons who are blind, deaf, autistic, have cerebral palsy, struggle with mental illness, and the list could go on. What I find is that my world was opened to a new group of people, and I find myself more aware of their issues and I EDUCATE others whenever I get a chance. So what group are you overlooking? Or what BUBBLE are you staying in? You must broaden your horizons in order to make you and your community better - you cannot depend on others to be the difference.

Please Join Us 2012 Annual Dinner

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:39:59 -0400

“Breaking Barriers and

Building Bridges for the Future through

Diversity and Inclusion”

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The Commons

300 Washington Street

Columbus, IN 47201

6:30 p.m.

Keynote Speaker:

Mr. Luke Visconti

Chief Executive Officer of Diversity Inc Media LLC

Program:

William R. Laws Human Rights Award

Benjamin M. King Essay Contest Awards

J. Irwin Miller Art Contest Awards

Tickets: $30.00 per person

¨ Advance Purchase Required

¨ RSVP by Friday April 13, 2012

¨ Vegetarian/Vegan meals available with advance order

¨ The Commons is wheelchair accessible, for other accommodations

or information on financial assistance in purchasing tickets,

please call: 376-2532

Or email: humanrights@columbus.in.gov

SPOTLIGHT on Welcoming Community

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:20:00 -0400

When you were hired as Vice

Chancellor of IUPUC, IUPUI

Chancellor Charles R. Bantz said

of you, “Dr. Wafa has the right

blend of skills, experience, and

leadership that will advance

IUPUC and benefit the

community,”. Why do you believe

that this is true? Is there an

experience that sticks out that led

you to be a great fit for Columbus

at IUPUC?

There are many experiences

throughout the years, and not one

specific incident but several. I grew

up in Kuwait, where I was not a

minority, and I came to the US in 1982

as a student. I went to school in South

Carolina, where things were very

different than my life in Kuwait. My wife

wears the hijab, we looked different and

it was very challenging in both good and

bad ways. Alertness to the issues

became heightened as the voice of the

minority is difficult to be heard. I learned

that from my life in South Carolina.

When we moved to Evansville, I was

able to learn about issues that I have

never had to deal with before in my life.

I became engaged in the community

and the school to help educate people

about my faith and beliefs mostly

because of our children and being

involved with them as they were

growing up. I was pulled into the

interfaith commission of Evansville. In

that environment we learned about each

other and beyond just our religions, the

people in the group were Jewish, Catholic,

Unitarian, and I, of course am Muslim. But

we learned to be respectful to each other

and realized that there was much work to

be done.

No matter what religion, intentional

messages of hate cause war. It is amazing

what human beings will do to one another.

We should learn from our historical events

and any problems that have come before

us.

Being a Muslim in a post 9-11 world,

how has this shaped the way you

lead diversity efforts and the way

you approach diversity personally

and at IUPUC?

I remember when the planes went down,

talking to my wife and hoping that the men

were not Muslim. It was a sad time. I was

more critical of people who criticize

religions, I felt as if the extremists were

destroying my faith. I thought, “What would

my neighbors think of me?” My neighbors

had compassion for me, because they

knew better; unlike other people, they

would volunteer to go out with us in public,

or go with my wife to the grocery store.

A message of hate is not a message of

God. We need education to help learn and

teach others. We need respect to help

understand others. We shouldn’t demean

or belittle or look down upon others. Often

this can strengthen us in our own faith

while eradicating and removing fears about

other religions and building confidence in

our own beliefs

In your strategic priorities

for IUPUC, you mention a

regional and global impact.

Why is it so important for

IUPUC to have a global

impact in a community like

Columbus? How does this

global impact make a

difference in the region?

We live in a small world – local

students who become a part of

the world. Fortunately, we have

companies such as Cummins

and other international

companies who do business

globally. It’s important for the

community and for our students

to be able to go into the global

world. It hurts our students if

they are not aware of about other

countries. One example of things

that were considering, is there

anything that needs to be a part

of our MBA program, that

involves learning about other

people’s cultures? I think this is

an important question to ask. It’s

a way to help local people who

are not well traveled. Developing

sensitivity is critical in this global

economy and you must be

culturally aware to develop that sensitivity.

A Thought for Columbus

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:40:04 -0400

By: Frances Leigh Jordan

And the story goes…..

On a British Airways flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged, well-off white South African Lady has found

herself sitting next to a black man. She calls the cabin crew attendant over to about her seating.

“What seems to be the problem Madam?” asks the attendant.

“Can’t you see?” she says. “You’ve sat me next to a kaffir. I can’t possibly sit next to this disgusting human.

Find me another seat!”

“Please calm down Madam”, the stewardess replies. “The flight is very full today, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do.

I’ll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class.”

The woman cocks a snooty look at the outraged black man beside her (not to mention many of the

surrounding passengers). A few minutes later the stewardess returns with the good news, which she

delivers to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin.

“Madam, unfortunately, as I suspected, economy is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and club

is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”

Before the lady has a chance to answer, the stewardess continues………

“It is most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission

from the captain. But, given the circumstances, the captain felt that it is outrageous that someone be forced

to sit next to such an obnoxious person.”

With that, she turns to the black man sitting next to the woman, and says…

“So if you’d like to get your things, Sir, I have your seat ready for you.”

At which point, apparently the surrounding passengers stood and gave a standing ovation while the black

guy walked up to the front of the plane.

“People will forget what you said,

People will forget what you did,

But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

In today’s society, the words diversity and inclusion are commonplace in

our workplace and our schools, but how do you act when you go out in public,

and with your children? Ask yourself, how do you make people feel? Outward

examples of racism rarely happen in today’s society in such a public forum,

although they still happen. What I find is that we have switched from blatant to

subtle expressions of racism and discrimination. We need to be aware and see

the effect of even subtle expressions can have on the people surrounding you.

Do your biases show through your eyes, facial expressions, or a quick

walk to the other side of the sidewalk depending on who’s on the same side of

the street? When you see a young woman wearing a traditional hijab, or person

in a wheelchair, or a gay couple holding hands, what is your natural reaction? Do

you stare, make a face, or even crack a joke to the people you are with? It is

wonderful the more we include others, but we also have to be mindful of how we

make other people feel, even though subtle reactions can still sting, when we are

around them.

The world is made up of different people, and you don’t have to agree

with a person’s beliefs or value system, but diversity teaches us how to respect

people’s differencesto throw out our biases and stereotypes, and just allow

people to be who they are without a judging eye. Give it a Try

"The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything - or nothing."

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:39:19 -0400

“The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything - or nothing.”

- Nancy Astor (1879 -

1964

Professional Media Corporation to Pay $58,000 To Settle EEOC Disability Bias Suit

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:22:50 -0500

Health Magazine Harassed and Fired Worker With Disabilities, Made Newly Hired Workers Sign ‘Health Warranty,’ Federal Agency Charged

BALTIMORE – A Bowie, Md., health magazine will pay $58,000 and furnish other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

In its suit (Civil Action No. RWT-10-02689), filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, the EEOC said that Professional Media Corporation, trading as Your Health magazine, had a policy of forcing employees to sign a “health warranty” certifying their health and that they did not use medications. The EEOC also charged that the company harassed and then unlawfully fired an employee who had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Auditory Processing Disorder (ADP).

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which makes it unlawful to discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability and specifically provides that employers may not ask job applicants and employees about the existence, nature or severity of a disability. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The consent decree settling the suit provides monetary relief of $58,000 to the fired employee and enjoins the company from continuing its “health warranty” policy. The decree contains a three-year injunction with continuing jurisdiction provisions to enable the EEOC to ensure that Your Health will comply with the ADA.

“This case shows that employers continue to make employment decisions based on uninformed prejudices and irrational fears,” said Spencer H. Lewis, Jr., director of the EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office, which oversees Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and parts of New Jersey and Ohio.

EEOC Regional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence, said, “Employees with disabilities must be treated with the same dignity and respect as all other members of the work force. The EEOC will continue to enforce the ADA to protect the rights of disabled employees and applicants.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the Commission is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

EEOC Sues Midwest ISO for Disability Discrimination

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 07:22:43 -0500

EEOC Sues Midwest ISO for Disability Discrimination:

Power Grid Operator Denied Reasonable Accommodation, Then Fired Employee With Known Disability, Federal Agency Charges

Court Cites Discriminatory Intent Behind Alabama's Anti-Immigrant Law

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:26:57 -0500

By Mary Bauer, Legal Director

The most damning proof that Alabama’s anti-immigrant law was born of xenophobia and vile stereotypes comes straight from the mouths of the lawmakers behind it.

This week, a federal judge issued a blistering court ruling that took the lawmakers to task. The judge didn’t rely on arcane legal arguments or theory. Instead, he used the on-the-record comments made by lawmakers as they passed the nation’s most draconian anti-immigrant bill, HB 56.

In a Dec. 12 ruling regarding a provision of the law, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson described the legislative debate as “laced with derogatory comments about Hispanics.” He even went as far to say that it’s likely the entire law was “discriminatorily based.” Over the course of the 108-page ruling, Thompson cited examples of lawmakers delving into ethnic stereotypes and using “Hispanic” and “illegal immigrant” interchangeably.

“This use is dramatically reflected in how HB 56’s drafter, Representative [Micky] Hammon, conflated race and immigration status,” Thompson wrote.

The most telling example is Hammon’s claim that Alabama was home to the second fastest growing population of undocumented immigrants in the nation. The claim was repeatedly cited by Hammon as he pushed the bill through the legislature. It sounded as if the state were facing a major crisis.

There was just one problem.

When a reporter asked Hammon for the source of his information, the legislator produced an article that showed the growth of the state’s Hispanic population from 2000 to 2010. The article “says nothing about unauthorized immigration whatsoever,” the judge wrote in his ruling.

But Hammon wasn’t the only offender.

The judge noted that when Rep. Kerry Rich – a co-sponsor of the law – discussed the growth of the undocumented immigrant population, he also used Hispanic population figures. Apparently for Hammon and other legislators, there is a part of “illegal” they don’t understand – it’s not a synonym for all Latinos.

When legislative debate includes talk about seeing 30 undocumented immigrants get out of a car or visiting a poultry plant and seeing “4-foot Mexicans in there catching them chickens” – two examples cited by the judge – it’s understandable that Latinos may worry about racial profiling.

And it’s understandable how the law produced in that environment can be a disaster for the state and wreak havoc in people’s lives.

Thompson’s ruling came in a Southern Poverty Law Center lawsuit challenging a provision of HB 56 that required people to prove their legal status when renewing their annual mobile home registration tags. The judge’s preliminary injunction temporarily prevents families from being pushed into the streets.

But despite court orders blocking various provisions, much of HB 56 remains in effect. And nothing changes the fact that lawmakers passed a shameful immigration law amid a debate rife with stereotypes, misinformation and bigotry – once again reminding the world of Alabama’s racist history.

EEOC Launches Small Business Task Force

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:08:37 -0500

Federal Agency to Expand and Enhance Assistance to Small Businesses

For More Information

Public Comments

The Commission invites members of the public to submit written input on the Task Force. Public comments may be e-mailed to smallbusiness@eeoc.gov, or mailed to:

EEOC Small Business Task Force
131 M Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20507

All comments received will be made available to members of the Commission and to Commission staff working on the Task Force. Comments will also be placed in the EEOC library for public review.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today launched an internal task force that will focus on expanding and improving outreach and technical assistance to small businesses. The Small Business Task Force, led by Commissioner Constance S. Barker, will work to find ways in which the agency could better collaborate with the small business community to ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.

The internal task force includes EEOC District Directors from the Birmingham, Charlotte and San Francisco offices; program analysts responsible for outreach from the San Antonio, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia offices; and representatives from the Offices of Field Programs, General Counsel, Legal Counsel, and Communications and Legislative Affairs. The Task Force will, among other things, develop recommendations on how to:

Utilize new technology to expand outreach to small businesses;
Develop technical assistance and training initiatives for small businesses;
Identify specialized approaches to aid small businesses owned by women and minorities;
Identify specialized approaches for micro businesses, generally those with 50 or fewer employees; and
Enhance small business information and training on the EEOC’s web site.

The Small Business Task Force plans to focus on newly established small businesses and those that are too small to afford lawyers or human resource personnel.

“I am pleased that Commissioner Barker is leading this important effort to assist small businesses in complying with the laws and regulations enforced by the EEOC,” Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien said. “The Task Force demonstrates our commitment to strengthening the lines of communication with small business owners and educating them about their responsibilities, including the benefits of preventing and resolving discrimination claims.”

“This Task Force is particularly timely because America’s economic recovery depends to a large extent on the ability of small business to continue to thrive and to grow their businesses,” Commissioner Barker stated. “It is appropriate that we take a fresh look at our interactions with the small business community to see if we can better serve them.”

Commissioner Barker, a former litigator who counseled small businesses on employment discrimination compliance issues, stated: “I am very sensitive to the real life day-to-day demands on the small business owner that make it difficult to keep up with complex laws and regulations. My brother is a small business owner, my parents were small business owners, and most of my clients were small business owners. We need to make it easier for owners of small businesses to quickly access the information they need to understand their legal obligations so they are able to comply with those obligations.”

The Task Force will work during 2012 to develop recommendations to the Commission, which will be presented in a public Commission meeting.

The Commission invites members of the public to submit written input on the Task Force. Public comments may be e-mailed to smallbusiness@eeoc.gov, or mailed to:

EEOC Small Business Task Force
131 M Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20507

All comments received will be made available to members of the Commission and to Commission staff working on the Task Force. Comments will also be placed in the EEOC library for public review.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. The laws enforced by the EEOC apply to employers who meet the threshold number of employees for coverage. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act apply to employers who have at least 15 employees in 20 or more weeks of the calendar year. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act applies to employers with 20 or more employees. The Equal Pay Act does not contain a minimum number of employees for coverage. Additionally, employers with 100 or more employees (50 if the employer is a government contractor) are required annually to file the EEO-1 Report, providing a breakdown of the workforce by race, sex, and national origin in nine broad job categories.

For information about the laws enforced by the EEOC, please contact the Commission’s small business liaisons at http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/contacts.cfm.

King Soopers to Pay $80,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:19:30 -0500

Store Supervisors Bullied Learning-Disabled Employee, Federal Agency Charged

DENVER – Dillon Companies, Inc., owners of the King Soopers supermarket chain in Colorado, will pay $80,000 to a mentally challenged employee who worked at its Lakewood, Colo., store and furnish other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s suit, filed on Sept. 18, 2009, King Soopers supervisors Gabby Sedillos, a head clerk, and Rachael Scott, a service manager, repeatedly subjected a ten-year employee, Justin Stringer, to repeated bullying and taunting because of his learning disability. The EEOC alleged that this harassment ultimately led to Stringer’s termination.

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Dillon Companies, Inc., Case No. 09-cv-02237-ZLW-MEH) in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

In addition to the monetary settlement, King Soopers will provide training to all of its supervisors and managers about the ADA and how to properly interact with employees with special needs. King Soopers will also make periodic reports to the EEOC concerning all complaints of disability discrimination for the next three years.

“Employees with disabilities must be treated with the same dignity and respect as all other members of the work force,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill. “The EEOC will continue to enforce the ADA to protect the rights of disabled employees and applicants.”

Nancy Sienko, director of the EEOC’s Denver Field Office, added, “We commend King Soopers for working with our Denver Field Office to resolve this case, and for its commitment to education about the ADA. We believe this resolution will help foster a discrimination-free workplace.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. The Phoenix District Office covers Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and part of New Mexico. Further information is available on the EEOC’s website at www.eeoc.gov.

Butterball Sued By EEOC For Harassment, Firing Of HIV-Positive Employee

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:55:10 -0500

Turkey Company Violated Federal Disability Law, Agency Charged

GARNER, N.C. – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today that Butterball, LLC, a Garner, N.C.-based turkey processing company, violated federal law by subjecting an employee to a hostile work environment based on the fact that she has Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and firing her because of that disability.

According to the lawsuit, Butterball subjected Tracy Montgomery to harassment throughout her employment in October and November 2009. Specifically, three of Montgomery’s co-workers expressed to her on a daily basis that they did not want to touch her or work with her because she is HIV-positive. The three employees also referred to Montgomery using derogatory names to describe her HIV status. The EEOC further alleges that Montgomery complained to her supervisor about the harassment on a daily or near-daily basis, but the harassment persisted. Butterball’s plant manager was also aware of the harassment after conducting a meeting with Montgomery and one of her co-workers to address an altercation that the co-worker provoked. However, the next day, the plant manager fired Montgomery.

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) protects employees with disabilities from being harassed, fired, or from other employment decisions based on disabilities that are covered under the act, such as HIV. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Western Division (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Butterball, LLC, Civil Action No. 5:11-cv-00685) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks monetary damages for Montgomery as well as certain injunctive relief.

“Harassment that targets a person with an ADA-covered disability, is just as much a violation of federal law as harassment based on a person’s race, color, gender, age, religion, or national origin,” said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “HIV/AIDS has always been a sensitive health issue, and an employer has no excuse for failing to intervene when an employee complains of vicious harassment based on her HIV status.”

EEOC Supervisory Trial Attorney Tina Burnside added, “Employees have the right to work in an environment free from harassment, and Title VII prohibits both harassment and firing an employee because of her disability.”

President Barack Obama has charged federal agencies to implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which includes addressing and preventing employment-related discrimination against people living with HIV.This case serves as an example of how the EEOC will strongly enforce federal laws to ensure that qualified people are not wrongfully deprived of an opportunity to earn a living simply because of their HIV status.

a Lot of History in a Little Bit

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:16:00 -0500

As we celebrated Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, 2011, we want to look at one of the ways the military was influential in civil rights in our country. The military was the first entity in America to attempt to desegregate. Despite the numerous obstacles, the military faced during this time, in July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order to desegregate the armed forces. There were other events that led till this ultimate decision by Harry S. Truman.

Eight years earlier, the nation achieved a historic first when the 99th Pursuit Squadron (the “Tuskegee Airmen”) was activated in 1940, the first African-American unit of the Army Air Corps. Before this time, there had never been an African-American pilot in the Unites States Military. Even after the program was activated, there was still skepticism about African Americans ability to fly planes, if they had the cognitive acumen to fly planes. Their funding was on the chopping block. Then something unpredictable happened. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt inspected the Tuskegee program in March 1941, and subsequently flew with African-American chief civilian instructor C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson. Anderson, who had been flying since 1929, and was responsible for training thousands of rookie pilots, took his prestigious passenger on a half-hour flight in a Waco biplane. After landing, she cheerfully announced, “Well, you can fly all right”, forever changing how the public viewed African American pilots. The Tuskegee Airmen went on to have a distinguished record, and received several Awards and decorations for valor and performance. So Eight years later, when President Truman desegregated, there was no question about the ability of African Americans as soldiers, yet, President Truman’s actions were not accepted with open arms. In fact, Army chief of staff Omar Bradley declared that “the Army is not out to make any social reform.” But he was wrong. That’s exactly what the military was doing. It was Bradley’s contention that the Army “will not put men of different races in the same companies.” Only for a moment, did Bradley’s reign true. The armed forces did not seriously implement Truman’s order until the Korean War began in 1950, and desegregation of the Army was not completed until 1954, when segregated units were completely abolished.

According to historians, there are conflicting reasons why President Truman desegregated the military, did he care about civil rights and equality for all or was he motivated by politics and his pursuit for re-election. Despite the reason, the decision went to serve us well. Now in the military, people of all races, sex, ethnicities, religion, natural origin, and now even openly-gay individuals serve US in the military, continually protecting the freedoms that we hold so dear to our heart. God bless America and God Bless our Troops.

The Best Cultural Connection... Laughter!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:57:00 -0500

As we acknowledge and embrace differences amongst cultures, there are a few hiccups along the way. We thought it would be fun to provide laughter created by some cultural mishaps. ENJOY!

“A friend of mine asked her sister in law who was Italian, to get evaporated milk in supermarket. She came back and said ‘I couldn’t find disappeared milk’.” (M. Baisova)

“When I lived in Manchester it took me months to understand that whenever my friend was ‘having his tea’ before coming over to me, it didn’t mean some archaic English leaf-drinking ritual, but that it was actually his evening meal.” (E. Moe)

“My English friend meets her Mexican boyfriend’s parents for the first time and the first words that she utters are ‘estoy embarazada’ which she thought translated to ‘I’m embarrassed’ (for not speaking more Spanish)” when really it means ‘I’m pregnant’”. (M. Dubois)

from Funny Linguistic Stories

While not from the military, I remember back in high school my soccer teamwas suiting up in a hockey arena changing room. One of my teammates (who was from Bermuda) read a sign over the changeroom door which said, “Nobody allowed on the rink until the Zamboni is off the ice.” He then looked at us and said, “Who the hell is Zamboni? And what makes him so special that nobody can go on the ice until he gets his ass off first?”

Evidently they do not play ice hockey in Bermuda …”

from Professional Soldiers

When Kentucky Fried Chicken entered the Chinese market, to their horror they discovered that their slogan “finger lickin’ good” came out as “eat your fingers off”

General Motors had a perplexing problem when they introduced the Chevy Nova in South America. Despite their best efforts, they weren’t selling many cars. They finally realized that in Spanish, “nova” means “it won’t go”. Sales improved dramatically after the car was renamed the “Caribe.”

Sometimes it’s one word of a slogan that changes the whole meaning. When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” Howeverthe company mistakenly thought the Spanish word “embarazar”meant embarrass. Instead the ads said “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant

The Dairy Association’s huge success with the campaign “Got Milk?” prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their attention the Spanish translation read “Are you lactating?”

Click here for more from Some Humorous Cross-Cultural Advertising Gaffes!

"Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value."

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:32:01 -0500

“Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.”

- Albert Einstein

A Thought for Columbus: The Undiscovered Gem

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:07:05 -0500

The Undiscovered Gem

By: Frances L. Jordan, Deputy Director

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

The “Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is often quoted, and to some over quoted, yet some messages can be stated a million times and still have an impact. I want to use this famous poem in a new perspective, taking a road that leads you to an undiscovered gem.

When we glance at the road we are on, sometimes we take a second and look back at the different choices in life, choices that determine what road we would take when a proverbial fork in the road appeared in our life. Sometimes we took the road less traveled or the road that is overused, and in more cases than not, we find ourselves taking the road that is most profitable to our life goals. What road are you on?

The road least popular, the road congested with people pleasers, or the road that has “me” written in every step. I want you to evaluate the road you are on in terms of what you give and how you help others. In Columbus, giving is practically a part of our DNA, there are so many organizations that are giving, helping, and serving the community. But has your road become a monotonous road, always giving to the same cause or same organization? Be diverse in what you give, refuse to put yourself into box. Diversity goes beyond the classroom, the office, or where you live, it touches every part of life including the charity we give. You might find yourself helping someone or a group of people you never imagined, it will make all the difference, in your life, their life and OUR community.