Jury says airline not liable in suit over 'racist rhyme'

AJC.com ^

[Republican Red]

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Southwest Airlines is not liable for a flight attendant who upset two black passengers by using a version of a rhyme with a racist history, a jury determined Wednesday.

The two passengers, sisters Louise Sawyer and Grace Fuller, were heading home from a Las Vegas vacation nearly three years ago when flight attendant Jennifer Cundiff, trying to get passengers to sit down, said over the intercom, "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe; pick a seat, we gotta go."

The sisters say the rhyme was directed at them and was a reference to a racist version that dates to before the civil rights era.

The sisters filed a federal lawsuit against the airline claiming they were discriminated against and suffered physical and emotional distress. Judge Kathryn H. Vratil ruled last year that the case could proceed to trial, and it began on Tuesday before an eight-member jury.

The jury returned its verdict in favor of the airline Wednesday evening.

Attorney Scott A. Wissel, representing the two women, said in his opening statement that they were humiliated and degraded when Cundiff used the phrase, and decided to sue out of frustration after Southwest Airlines would not take their complaint seriously.

Cundiff, who is white, testified that she had used the rhyme before on other flights. She said Southwest Airlines encourages employees to use humor to help make flights more fun and memorable.

She testified that she was confused why someone would complain about the rhyme. It was not until later that she learned about the racist version, she said.

[Bon mots]

Either way! I can't go to the local convienent store in my hood and be there more than 10 minutes on a nice summer day and not hear a black calling another black, n---er. Then we have a lawsuit over an implied use of the word by a white airline employee!?

Don't you get it? It's all about intimidation. There are certain words YOU are not allowed to say or even think in America, or you are guilty of a hate crime.
To make up for some imagined racism you possess, your use of language must be restricted. If you think or act otherwise, you can be locked up.

What's next? Re-education camps?

[MotleyGirl70]

LOL! Nice! :) Classic Seinfeld.

[sarasota]

It's all about lawyers and the law. It's just too easy to get into court these days.

[Cagey]

That sure IS a classic. Almost every one they made is.

Now, we have to figure out an episode that relates to Howard Dean's meltdown.

Jimmy doesn't like Howard.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Something else that would sound like Seinfeld would be for the Judge to award the plantif with this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000067BKH/onthewebcom-21/202-5376144-4629416

[Larry Lucido]

That would be "The Serenity Now."

Jerry: "Yea, well they can just kiss 2% of my ass!"

[biblewonk]

Don't you get it? It's all about intimidation. There are certain words YOU are not allowed to say or even think in America, or you are guilty of a hate crime. To make up for some imagined racism you possess, your use of language must be restricted. If you think or act otherwise, you can be locked up.

Yes, I do get it but I won't play.

What's next? Re-education camps?

From what I hear prison is such a pit of reverse racial oppression via rape, we already have re-education camps.

[shaggy eel]

,,, eenie, meenie, I'm appalled - it's time the legal system was overhauled.

[RightWingMama]

Yes. I'm 56. Mother used the N word in teaching that rhyme years ago!

That's how I learned it also. I'm 59. I was saying it with the "N" word when I was five years old. I had no idea what it meant.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Another thought. As I recall that one verse was "Make him pay fifty dollars each day!"

So how do you get a Tiger to pay $50? Fits in real well with racial intimidation though.

When I think of it many nursery rhymes are scary. Ring of Rosies was about the black plauge. Bridges falling down. Falling down hills.

[doug from upland]

Eenie meenie miney moat....grab a lawyer by the throat

If it's frivilous, they say....make the b*st*rd really pay

[GrandMoM]

....while I think these women filed a scam of a lawsuit, I do remember using the "N" word in that chant when playing hide and seek as a child. I was not aware I was being raised by loving ,but, bigoted parents until I was in my teens and it was then, that our fights began....

[MPJackal]

Itsy Bitsy spider always creeped me out

[Ichneumon]

Some folks need to get a hobby.

I think that *is* their hobby...

[sarasota]

The Nation is Islam will make sure Mike walks. One way or the other.