Posted on 12/06/2016 4:12:28 PM PST by GuavaCheesePuff
A legislative aide with Asperger's Syndrome endured so much humiliation in Brooklyn City Councilman Vincent Gentile's office — including decapitated teddy bears left on his desk — that he had to quit, a $10 million lawsuit alleges.
Michael Bistreich, Gentile's former legislation and budget director, claims he was "subjected to degrading and humiliating discrimination because he is autistic" during his nearly 2½ years with the pol.
The discrimination was "perpetrated by Council Member Gentile and his senior staff, including (former chief of staff John) Mancuso," the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, charges.
Bistreich, for example, disclosed "he identified with and emotionally valued objects, including stuffed animals," the suit says.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
I don’t get the decapitated teddy bear thing. Is that an insult to aspergers people?
No early mention of political party. Why?
Agree, it was my first question.
Vincent Joseph “Vinnie” Gentile is the Council member for the 43rd District of the New York City Council. He is a Democrat. The district includes Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Dyker Heights in Brooklyn.
I suspect it was because he “disclosed ‘he identified with and emotionally valued objects, including stuffed animals’.”
In the article; "Bistreich, for example, disclosed "he identified with and emotionally valued objects, including stuffed animals," the suit says." So whomever was doing this knew Bistreich would get upset. Typical case of another Democrat bully.
He’s a Democrat. He is fairly liberal for a conservative-leaning area of NYC. Yes, they are some conservative areas of the City.
Daily news is a form of Nyt lite...rat rag
See, that’s why I should actually read the articles. But sadly, I’ll probably never learn.
Not that the Gray Lady has any dignity left to lose -- but the Daily News is several orders of magnitude worse. The NYT has a public editor. They at least maintain a fig leaf of objective journalism that they try to hide behind.
OTOH, the Daily News is more like a cross between a supermarket tabloid and the Daily Worker.
Bistreich, for example, disclosed “he identified with and emotionally valued objects, including stuffed animals,” the suit says.
Council Member - Democrat ... Vincent J. Gentile
It was mean, shameful and immature for both men to pick on and provoke this younger employee who is autistic. At the same time, someone needs to communicate to this employee that you do not tell everyone you meet about how vulnerable you are to feeling emphatic pain. You don’t tell virtual strangers about what makes you want to cry or go stay in bed for a week.
These are coworkers, they are NOT necessarily your friends. People will file this info away and use it against you later. We are but humans. Some folks cannot resist going after a weak looking target. It can bring the predator/ frat boy behavior out in otherwise professional acting adults. That said, the autistic man should have been able to consult Human Resources or have some intermidiate party made available to advocate for him
and tell his supervisor to “Cut the Crap!, or risk being named in a lawsuit as part of a Toxic Work Environment.”
After doing so, "Bistreich found mutilated stuffed animals at his desk, including teddy bears that were decapitated with one head mounted on a small flagpole, and a stuffed animal dog that was gutted and impaled and had red coloring around its slit stomach, mouth and eyes to resemble blood ..." The incident "was so distressing to Bistreich that he closed himself in the conference room for close to an hour," the suit alleges.
This actually sounds like a fun place to work.
If he’s upset, he should just sing the happy song:
“”If You’re Happy and You Know It, Flap Your Hands””
Sounds like the people in that office need a lot more work to do. Perhaps getting rid of a bunch of them will keep the remainder busy.
That is not “fun” tormenting someone witn Aspergers. Its cruel.
That response is uncalled for. Makes it sound like you are making fun of persons with Aspergers. Shame.
As of DSM-5 there is no longer a such thing as Asperger’s; it is no longer a disorder. it is back to being “shy” or “Mommy’s boy”. The treatment is to man up and stand up for yourself.
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