Posted on 03/28/2005 3:21:32 PM PST by SmithL
NEW ORLEANS - A jury began deliberating Monday in a lawsuit accusing New Orleans' first black district attorney of racial discrimination for dismissing dozens of white employees upon taking office.
In closing arguments, lawyers for District Attorney Eddie Jordan said he had a right to hire and fire whomever he wanted, and was motivated not by racism but by a desire to make his office more reflective of the mostly black city.
Eight days after taking office in January 2003, Jordan fired 53 of 77 white non-lawyers - investigators, clerks, child-support enforcement workers and the like - and replaced them with blacks.
Months later, 44 of the whites sued him, and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission later made a preliminary finding that Jordan had been racially biased.
"The statistical evidence establishes an unbelievably strong inference in regard to racial discrimination," the whites' lawyer, Clement Donelon, told the jury of eight whites and two blacks.
Lawyers for Jordan countered that the new district attorney was simply working to correct the "good old boy" hiring practices of his predecessor, Harry Connick Sr., which resulted in an office that was largely white.
The fired employees are seeking back pay, which their lawyer estimated at $1.6 million, and $100,000 in damages. "I wouldn't want you to ruin Mr. Jordan financially, but my clients want him to stop discriminating," Donelon said.
Plaintiffs' lawyers concentrated on showing that many of those who were fired had far more experience and scored higher in job interviews than blacks who were either hired anew or kept on.
This is one I sure hope the Plaintiffs win!!
What happened to Aphrican Americans?
Did I write it incorrectly?
I hope the people with the lawsuit win.
If they do, how will it help the guy who discriminated against them?
I'm missing something...
Or will he run saying he was fighting for the underpriviliged..yada, yada, yada whey he fired all those people and hired people less qualified?
Did I just answer my question?
What a mess things are.
I was born and grew up in New Orleans. I think you would need first-hand knowledge of the black-think in New Orleans.
The demographics is much like Detroit, for example, or maybe Atlanta....only more defiant, more hateful of the white man, etc.
I have travelled the world and lived in various cities in this country. I have never seen racism or hatred between the races come even close to what happens in New Orleans.
If he wins or loses this case he will surely be elected to mayor if he chooses to run.
He'll actually get more votes in the mayoral election if he loses this case.
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