When Political Correctness Goes Wrong

You know I try to go through life treating people the way, I would want to be treated. I believe every person deserves a fair shake or an opportunity to prove themselves. I think overall some people are good folk who just want to do the best for their family and live in their perceived version of "happiness." And although we debate and insult each other when we disagree, overall I would sit down and have a beer or share a crown and coke with the main contributers on this site.

But I'm upset ya'll and I'm unmotivated about where I work. My morale is low and quite frankly, I don't see it getting better.

Well damn RF23, what happened?

Thanks for asking, and I have to admit I can't jot down what I really want to say without trying to be political or black republican-ish. I want to come out as a person who is looking for a different perspective, cause I can't see it. Let me tell what's going on: Last week, the City of Los Angeles City Council voted to settle a lawsuit, in which a black man, who worked for the Los Angeles Fire Department for 22 years, over a prank by his fellow firemen was fed dog food in his spaghetti.

The firefighter named Tennie Pierce claimed he suffered mental and physical distress and oh yeah, was a victim of a pattern of racial discrimination within the Fire Department. His attorney presented an "expert" from UC Davis who said that Pierce experienced what Blacks throughout history have experienced in getting fed scraps. Well after that little spew, the City Council opened up the "people of Los Angeles' check-book" and scratched $2.7 million payable to Mr. Pierce's attorney, who will after taking his or her fees, forward the rest to Pierce.

All of this happened because the City Attorneys office failed to investigate and ask the right questions. In essence they failed at the "Discovery" process, because once the L.A. Times published the story, all hell broke loose.

And this is where I'm at, I work for the City Attorneys Office as a Paralegal and before I got on with the City, I worked in private practice, specifically "employment law." This type of case I am familiar with and although I don't work in the City's Employment Relation Division, what transpired is a morale killer. The fact that this office surrendered to political correctness and recommended to the council to settle the case, because the plaintiff threw race into it is reprehensible.

I worked racial discrimination cases, wrongful termination cases and sexual harrassment cases and I worked for the defendants, which were corporations. I can tell you all, exactly how many case I've had where we told our client to write a check...ONE!!!

Every case I've dealt with we were sucessful in getting verdicts in our favor or the plaintiffs dropped the matter after we did our damn jobs and was able to discredit the claims. (for the record, the managing partner or the guy whose name was on the door is an African American) For instance, a white male, who worked at a fast food restaurant corporate office, was terminated for having pornography on his computer, the company had a zero tolerance for that type of action, he signed a paper saying he understood the policy, he broke it and was terminated. He sued the company for wrongful termination and sexual harrassment. After obtaining the site list that the plaintiff visited, we interviewed everyone who dealt with him in regard to the sexual harrassment matter. We reviewed his application and checked out his background. We left no stone unturned and it was I who out of curiousity and "want to know" looked at one part of his application and to make the story short...he lied on his app., and after proving he did so he dropped the case...How about one more, a woman sued a defense company for racial discrimination and wrongful termination. When asked during her deposition of how she felt discriminated against...she said that at a dinner party the supervisor drank out of everyone's glass but her's. Two days later, that case was dropped.

Which brings me to this case in which my employer has failed to represent the people of Los Angeles. Pierce was on the fire department for 22 years, he went by the name of "big dog" and is quoted as saying "feed the big dog" at a volleyball game, in which he apparently was dominating in the middle. So as a prank, his housemates put dog food in his spaghetti and Pierce eat one bite, and the house erupted with laughter..Pierce asked what is in the food and was told dog food, dude took another bite. A few weeks later, he sues and causes two captains to be suspended, not fired.

Well here is the failure, It seems that Pierce was a prankster himself during 22 years on the fire department. Pictures were forwarded to a local radio station, showing at the time, an unconfirmed identity of Pierce on some of his pranks. The next day the photos were positively confirmed by Pierce and after seeing the pictures, the city council refused to rescind its settlement. When asked if they saw the pictures? Councilman Dennis Zine said, No and if they had, they would not have voted to give this guy the settlement. So the question is why my office did not divulge the photos?...They don't know! and they did not mention it in a report that is given to the council to review. They failed....

Fact is Pierce was not discriminated against, but the recipient of a prank. And for that prank the taxpayers of Los Angeles who just voted to give this same council an addition three year term to their limits, have to pay Pierce $2.7 million for something that could have gone to parks or programs for Youths. And I'm not mad at Pierce, at first I was because he took that avenue to throw his fellow housemates under. but it ain't his fault that the city gave him a boulevard to go down. This is what happens when political correctness goes bad....

Sources:

www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dogfoodnov09.1.4660029.story

Photos of Mr. Pierce in his prank mode: www.johnandkenshow.com/tennie-pierce-purported-prankster/