Tag:

Discrimination

NY Attorney General Condemns Nassau County's Transgender Athlete Ban NY Attorney General Condemns Nassau County's Transgender Athlete Ban
NY Attorney General Condemns Nassau County's Transgender Athlete Ban Hours after a county executive on Long Island announced an order prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, the New York State Attorney General publicly denounced the motion. On Thursday, Feb. 22, just hours after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed his executive order, Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office would look into the next steps to protect transgender athletes from the ban, which she called “dangerous.” Earlier Report: Nassau County Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing In Women's, Girls Sports “This executive order …
Disabled Teen Urinated On Herself During Atlantic City McDonald's Incident, Suit Says Disabled Teen Urinated On Herself During Atlantic City McDonald's Incident, Suit Says
Disabled Teen Urinated On Herself During Atlantic City McDonald's Incident, Suit Says The family of a teen girl is suing McDonald's, saying an Atlantic City restaurant employee refused to serve them, made a racist comment, and discriminated against the girl because of a disability. According to court documents, the high school student and her parents visited Atlantic City to celebrate her birthday in May 2019. They stopped at the McDonald's on Arkansas Avenue near Tanger Outlets Atlantic City before returning home to Staten Island, NY. The lawsuit said a cashier refused to serve the teen and her father, telling them to order and pay from a kiosk. When the girl's father …
State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients
State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients A handyman from Paterson was ordered to immediately stop refusing to serve Jews and take several remedial steps or face serious charges, state authorities in Trenton said on Thursday. Melquisedec Francis must satisfy eight specific demands to keep from being prosecuted, including announcing that he no longer discriminates against Jewish customers, attending training on anti-Semitism and paying a fine, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Nov. 30. In advertisements on TaskRabbit and elsewhere last month, Francis wrote: "I am expressing my solidarity with the Palestinian Peopl…
Satanic Temple To Receive $200K From Northampton County School District: ACLU Satanic Temple To Receive $200K From Northampton County School District: ACLU
Satanic Temple To Receive $200K From Northampton County School District: ACLU (Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from the school district.) The Saucon Valley School District has agreed to pay $200,000 in attorney's fees to The Satanic Temple, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.  The Salem, Massachusetts-based Temple had filed suit against SVSD early this year after administrators blocked the group from sponsoring an "After School Satan Club" at Saucon Valley Middle School.  Under the settlement inked this week, the district will give the club "the same access to school facilities that other comparable organizations receive," said…
Mahwah Native Fired After Train Rant Toward Tourists Goes Viral Mahwah Native Fired After Train Rant Toward Tourists Goes Viral
Mahwah Native Fired After Train Rant Toward Tourists Goes Viral A 30-year-old New Jersey woman has been fired after a video of her berating German tourists on an NJ Transit train went viral, multiple outlets report. Brianna Pinnix, a talent acquisition specialist at Capital Rx from Mahwah, is seen screaming at the tourists as her boyfriend attempted to restrain her in a video initially posted on Reddit, as reported by TMZ and the NY Post. The ordeal happened on a New Jersey Transit train following the New York Jets v. Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday, Oct. 1, according to The Messenger. "Bri, do not this," the man with her said in vain. "Stop thi…
State Charges Millville Court With Discriminating Against Spanish Speakers State Charges Millville Court With Discriminating Against Spanish Speakers
State Charges Millville Court With Discriminating Against Spanish Speakers State authorities filed a complaint Tuesday accusing the city of Millville of violating the law by discriminating against Spanish-speaking defendants. The municipal court in Millville required those who “were or were perceived to be Spanish-speaking” prevented them from participating in court proceedings virtually between June and December 2022, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Aug. 8. Instead, they were required to attend court proceedings in person, the attorney general said. The situation was brought to light by Municipal Court Judge Jason Witcher, who accused the …
Swastikas Found At Playgrounds In Merrick, Cedarhurst Swastikas Found At Playgrounds In Merrick, Cedarhurst
Swastikas Found At Playgrounds In Merrick, Cedarhurst Police on Long Island are searching for the people responsible for leaving antisemitic graffiti on playground equipment at a park and an elementary school.  The first incident occurred on the night of Sunday, July 23 at Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst, according to the Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol (RNSP).  Swastikas had been etched into a plastic piece of play equipment, the officers discovered.  Then, on Sunday, July 30 at approximately 9 a.m., it happened again. Nassau County Police detectives arrived at the playground at Chatterton School, located at 108 M…
NJ Boy With Autism Traumatized After Being Booted From Movie Theater Bathroom With Mom: Lawsuit NJ Boy With Autism Traumatized After Being Booted From Movie Theater Bathroom With Mom: Lawsuit
NJ Boy With Autism Traumatized After Being Booted From Movie Theater Bathroom With Mom: Lawsuit A Monmouth County mother is suing a local movie theater and its national holding company after police were called during what was supposed to be a special night out, her attorney says. Christine Gallinaro and her son, J.G., who has autism and is nonverbal, had tickets for Disney’s “Elemental” at Showtimes at Cinemark Hazlet 12 on June 16, according to the family's attorney, R. Armen McOmber. Trouble began when Gallinaro brought her son into the women's restroom with her for the second time that day, as the theater did not have family restrooms, leaving her with no other choice, according to…
Mamaroneck School District Failed To Address Race, Gender Based Bullying: Attorney General Mamaroneck School District Failed To Address Race, Gender Based Bullying: Attorney General
Mamaroneck School District Failed To Address Race, Gender Based Bullying: Attorney General Following an investigation that found a Westchester school district failed to adequately address race- and gender-based bullying and harassment against students, the district has agreed to make the needed changes to improve its response to these incidents, officials said.  The Mamaroneck Union Free School District agreed to make these changes following an investigation conducted by the New York Office of the Attorney General, Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday, July 18.  According to James, the investigation was started in June 2020 following allegations from…
Protest Planned For GOP Presidential Hopeful Ron DeSantis' Visit To Suffern Protest Planned For GOP Presidential Hopeful Ron DeSantis' Visit To Suffern
Protest Planned For GOP Presidential Hopeful Ron DeSantis' Visit To Suffern As Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, heads to the Hudson Valley for an upscale fundraiser, local Democrats, and LBGTQ supporters, plan to protest. DeSantis is slated to appear at an invitation-only $ 6,600-a-person fundraising event in Rockland County at the Crowne Plaza in Suffern on Thursday, June 29. In advance of the event, reportedly planned by Seth Gribetz, the Englewood, New Jersey investor, local Democrats are putting out the call for demonstrators on their Facebook page. "We are taking action and organizing a powerful, peaceful protest to let Gover…
Belleville Popeyes Discriminated Against Black Employee: Lawsuit Belleville Popeyes Discriminated Against Black Employee: Lawsuit
Belleville Popeyes Discriminated Against Black Employee: Lawsuit A former Popeyes employee has filed a lawsuit against the Essex County restaurant, claiming the restaurant frequently discriminated against him because he as Black. Wesley Hammonds, a Jersey City resident, filed the lawsuit last month in Essex County Superior Court against Belleville Chicken, LLC, which operations the location in Belleville and the store's general manager. Hammonds had worked at Popeyes from June 2020 until May 2022, when he was terminated. Hammonds, who was the only Black employee, said he was hired to be a manager, but the restaurant did not want a Black manager visible i…
'Tone It Down': Popular Secaucus Library Programmer Says He Was Fired Over His Lifestyle 'Tone It Down': Popular Secaucus Library Programmer Says He Was Fired Over His Lifestyle
'Tone It Down': Popular Secaucus Library Programmer Says He Was Fired Over His Lifestyle A popular host of online programs at the Secaucus library claims he was terminated because library higher ups did not approve of his "lifestyle." Jeffrey Machno has filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after he said he contacted the board of trustees at the library to complain about how he was treated.  During the pandemic, Machno, a lifelong Secaucus resident who works full-time at a fashion house, hosted a trivia night online. He quickly developed a following and started having his own interview program. He even hosted Secaucus' Got Talent in…
'Whites-Only' Hiring Practice Only Part Of 'Palpable' Racism At Everett Schools, Suit Alleges 'Whites-Only' Hiring Practice Only Part Of 'Palpable' Racism At Everett Schools, Suit Alleges
'Whites-Only' Hiring Practice Only Part Of 'Palpable' Racism At Everett Schools, Suit Alleges A superintendent and her deputy were told that they were not “Everett enough,” as a code for “they’re not white like us," a new lawsuit claims. Superintendent Priya Tahiliani and her Deputy Superintendent Kim Tsai filed a joint suit against the City of Everett, Mayor Carlo Demaria, and the Everett School Committee on Tuesday, March 21 for a litany of racist acts that culminated in her tenure not being renewed, according to court documents. https://t.co/hhfDa1creG Many parents and students denounced the Everett School Committee's decision not to renew Priya Tahiliani's contract, despite …
Special Education Teacher Fired After Complaining About Understaffing In Bordentown: Lawsuit Special Education Teacher Fired After Complaining About Understaffing In Bordentown: Lawsuit
Special Education Teacher Fired After Complaining About Understaffing In Bordentown: Lawsuit A special education teacher has sued a South Jersey school district for firing her after she complained about understaffing. Bryanna Mostak, 30, of Hamilton, was fired after taking a medical leave due to stress and anxiety. Mostak claims her supervisors failed to respond to her complaints as an elementary school teacher in the Bordentown Regional School District. Mostak began the 2021 school year with seven special education students  "who often had very aggressive or violent tendencies and suffered from numerous physical, emotional, behavioral, and psychological challenges," the laws…
Spanish TV Show Sparks Racial Tirade In Hatboro Pizzeria (VIDEO) Spanish TV Show Sparks Racial Tirade In Hatboro Pizzeria (VIDEO)
Spanish TV Show Sparks Racial Tirade In Hatboro Pizzeria (Video) A woman's racial tirade apparently over a Montgomery County pizzeria playing Spanish television is going viral on TikTok. The woman sprinkled in lots of F-bombs while telling workers in Amy's Pizzeria in Hatboro to "learn English." "You want to have Spanish on your TV?" she asks a worker. "What's wrong with that?" he asks. "What's wrong with that is that you're not American," she says. Amy's Pizzeria owners denounced discrimination in the caption of the video. "This lady walked into our pizza shop (owned by hispanics) and heard Spanish coming from our TV and started discriminating us," …
Wayland Schools Have 'Hostile Work Environment,' Superintendent Says Wayland Schools Have 'Hostile Work Environment,' Superintendent Says
Wayland Schools Have 'Hostile Work Environment,' Superintendent Says A superintendent who was placed on administrative leave following an incident in which he was the target of racist graffiti filed a discrimination complaint saying his school district fosters a "hostile work environment" and subjected him to unlawful discrimination on the basis of race.  A spray-painted, overtly racist message targeting Superintendent Dr. Omar Easy was discovered on a community pool wall in Wayland around 7:30 a.m. on December 21, 2023, as reported by Daily Voice. The graffiti said "OMAR = N****R," according to a complaint Easy filed to the Massachusetts Commission Against …
Female Boss Groped Montville Google Exec Who Was Ultimately The One Fired, Suit Says Female Boss Groped Montville Google Exec Who Was Ultimately The One Fired, Suit Says
Female Boss Groped Montville Google Exec Who Was Ultimately The One Fired, Suit Says Google is facing a lawsuit from one of its former directors, a New Jersey dad, alleging discrimination and retaliation from another director who allegedly harassed him at a company dinner in 2019. Ryan Olohan, 48, of Morris County, alleges in the suit he was fired from the massive company after another director rubbed his stomach and told him she knew he liked Asian women at a company dinner in 2019, according to a copy of the lawsuit published by Bloomberg Law. Olahan, a dad of seven from Montville who owns ice cream shop Seven Scoops & Sips, alleges in the suit that was only the …
Non-Kneeling Ex-Virginia Tech Soccer Player Settles With School After Benching Non-Kneeling Ex-Virginia Tech Soccer Player Settles With School After Benching
Non-Kneeling Ex-Virginia Tech Soccer Player Settles With School After Benching Former Virginia Tech women’s soccer star Kiersten Hening has reportedly reached a six-figure settlement with her former coach Charles "Chugger" Adair over a dispute about kneeling before games that ultimately led to her benching. Hening was rewarded at least $100,000 as part of an agreement to dismiss a federal lawsuit that was previously filed regarding the former defensive midfielder’s First Amendment rights. According to reports, the terms of the settlement do not involve Adair admitting any wrongdoing, though few other details were initially released pending the finality of the agreem…
Conservative Christian Group Refused Service For Religious Beliefs At Virginia Restaurant Conservative Christian Group Refused Service For Religious Beliefs At Virginia Restaurant
Conservative Christian Group Refused Service For Religious Beliefs At Virginia Restaurant Members of a conservative Christian group in Virginia were reportedly turned away from a restaurant based solely on their religious views, reports the New York Post. Christian lobbying organization, Family Foundation of Virginia, were allegedly scheduled to hold a private event ceremony at Metzger Bar and Butchery in Richmond, and received a phone call hours before the reservation alerting them that it had been cancelled. Metzger Bar and Butchery then acknowledged in a social media post that they canceled the reservation due to religious beliefs and political advocacy of the foundation, prid…
Court Sides With Woman Who Lost UConn Scholarship After Middle Finger Incident Court Sides With Woman Who Lost UConn Scholarship After Middle Finger Incident
Court Sides With Woman Who Lost UConn Scholarship After Middle Finger Incident A former University of Connecticut athlete from New York's Hudson Valley who was stripped of her full college scholarship after she raised a middle finger following a championship game victory has won a victory in court, a report by Courthouse News Service said.  In November 2014, UConn women's soccer player and then-freshman Noriana Radwan, from the Dutchess County village of Wappingers Falls, flashed her middle finger to a television camera after her team beat the University of South Florida 3-2 in the American Athletic Conference championship game.  Immediately after the w…
NY Health Dept. Discriminated Against Mentally Ill By Barring Patients From Adult Homes: Judge NY Health Dept. Discriminated Against Mentally Ill By Barring Patients From Adult Homes: Judge
NY Health Dept. Discriminated Against Mentally Ill By Barring Patients From Adult Homes: Judge Adult care facilities in New York can no longer bar individuals suffering from serious mental illness, a judge has ruled. In her ruling Thursday, Oct. 6, Supreme Court Justice Gretchen Walsh said State Department of Health (DOH) regulations prohibiting certain adult homes from admitting those with serious mental illness discriminate against the mentally ill and violate the federal Fair Housing Act. The ruling was the culmination of a six-year lawsuit brought by Oceanview Manor Home for Adults, a privately-owned adult care facility in Coney Island that operates an assisted living program. …
Brookline Fires Embattled Police Chief Following Sexual Harassment Probe Brookline Fires Embattled Police Chief Following Sexual Harassment Probe
Brookline Fires Embattled Police Chief Following Sexual Harassment Probe Brookline fired Police Chief Ashley Gonzalez on Friday, Oct. 14, after only months on the job after the town found he violated its policy against sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.  The town hired Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting to perform an independent investigation into Gonzalez after they were made aware of several alleged violations of the town's sexual harassment policy in August.  That review recommended firing the 33-year law enforcement veteran after investigators found "multiple admitted, corroborated, and sustained allegati…
ACLU Accuses Central Bucks School District Of Discriminating Against LGBTQ+ Students ACLU Accuses Central Bucks School District Of Discriminating Against LGBTQ+ Students
ACLU Accuses Central Bucks School District Of Discriminating Against LGBTQ+ Students The ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a complaint Thursday, Oct. 6 with the United States Department of Justice on behalf of seven students in Central Bucks School District who claim officials continuously discriminated against LGBTQ+ students, particularly transgender students. The redacted complaint is the result of a five-month investigation by ACLU-PA lawyers who interviewed dozens of students, family members, current and former teachers, other school staff, and community stakeholders, according to the organization. The school district promoted a toxic educational environment&nb…
Haverhill Car Dealer Charged Black, Hispanic Customers More Than Whites: Mass AG Haverhill Car Dealer Charged Black, Hispanic Customers More Than Whites: Mass AG
Haverhill Car Dealer Charged Black, Hispanic Customers More Than Whites: Mass AG The state's top law enforcement officer filed a lawsuit against a Haverhill car dealership and accused them of overcharging Black and Hispanic customers.  The Massachusetts Attorney General's lawsuit alleges that Jaffarian Volvo Toyota charged Black customers $510 more and Hispanic car buyers $429 more on average than they did white shoppers.  Jaffarian Volvo Toyota did this through add-ons and additional costs for features such as paint protection, GAP insurance, and remote starters that it didn't charge for white customers, the Attorney General's Office said. The …
CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video
CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video Connecticut's attorney general announced his office has launched a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices of a Fairfield County school district after a video went viral of an assistant principal making comments about his hiring practices. Attorney General William Tong said Thursday, Sept. 1, he plans to investigate the Greenwich Public School District for any potentially illegal discrimination or other actionable misconduct related to the video that "appears to contain troubling, discriminatory statements that appear to have been made by a Greenwich public school official." Th…
Harvard Grad Student, 32, Died In Police Custody While On Indonesian Honeymoon Harvard Grad Student, 32, Died In Police Custody While On Indonesian Honeymoon
Harvard Grad Student, 32, Died In Police Custody While On Indonesian Honeymoon A 32-year-old transgender Harvard student died earlier this month from alleged police misconduct while on a honeymoon in Indonesia, his family said.  Rodrigo Ventocilla Ventosilla, a Peruvian-born Kennedy School graduate student, was arrested on a drug possession charge when he landed in Bali on Aug, 6, the Harvard Crimson reported. He was dead five days later. His spouse, Sebastián Marallano, and family say the outspoken trans-activist's death is the result of "racial discrimination and transphobia," and they demand a thorough investigation and independent autopsy.  Rodrigo Ventocilla …
Howard County Executive Responds To White Power Flyers Distributed At Lake Kittamaqundi Howard County Executive Responds To White Power Flyers Distributed At Lake Kittamaqundi
Howard County Executive Responds To White Power Flyers Distributed At Lake Kittamaqundi Officials are addressing yet another bias incident as hate crimes sweep through Maryland, often sharing the same disturbing message: "white power". After "white power" flyers were found distributed around Lake Kittamaqundi, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball released a statement, claiming these crimes are "not an isolated occurrence". In recent days, we have become aware of a Hate Bias Incident that took place at Lake Kittamaqundi over the weekend. @HCPDNews is investigating the incident and has identified similar flyers in various states revealing that this is not an isolated occurren…
Brookline Police Chief Placed On Leave Amid Alleged Policy Violations Brookline Police Chief Placed On Leave Amid Alleged Policy Violations
Brookline Police Chief Placed On Leave Amid Alleged Policy Violations Brookline's Police Chief Ashley Gonzalez has been placed on paid administrative leave for allegedly violating several policies, the Town said in a statement.  “Last week, we were made aware of multiple allegations that Chief Gonzalez violated the Town’s Policy Against Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Retaliation," the statement read.  “The Town has a strict zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation committed by or against its employees," the Town continued. "We are committed to supporting the investigation, which will determine the facts,…
Rutgers Women's Basketball Players Win Appeal In Discrimination Case Rutgers Women's Basketball Players Win Appeal In Discrimination Case
Rutgers Women's Basketball Players Win Appeal In Discrimination Case Four former Rutgers-Newark basketball players will have another shot at what they say is justice. A New Jersey appeals court reinstated claims of race, gender and sexual orientation discrimination brought by Jasmine Daniels, Jade Howard, Sarah Schwartz and Arianna Williams as part of an existing lawsuit, NJ Advance Media reports. Those claims have been tacked on to the suit involving Sharee Gordon and Adayshia McKinnon. A local court previously ruled that the women hadn't suffered discrimination from longtime Athletic Director Mark Griffin and interim women's basketball head coach Wil…
'Camp Ramah' Director Mishandled NJ Teen's Sex Assault Case, Lawsuit Says 'Camp Ramah' Director Mishandled NJ Teen's Sex Assault Case, Lawsuit Says
'Camp Ramah' Director Mishandled NJ Teen's Sex Assault Case, Lawsuit Says The director of popular Jewish sleep-away camp has been removed from the position after a scathing lawsuit accused him of trying to cover up a sex abuse claim made by a teen girl from New Jersey. Ethan Linden, who worked at Camp Ramah of the Berkshires, is accused of telling the 15-year-old girl in 2018 that he wouldn't tell anyone about how she woke up to a boy putting his fingers inside of her genitals, reads the suit, filed in Manhattan federal court. The girl apparently told her head counselor, who told camp officials. But after days without hearing back, she had a meeting with Linden a…
Transgender Customer Harassed By Edison Diner Manager: Report Transgender Customer Harassed By Edison Diner Manager: Report
Transgender Customer Harassed By Edison Diner Manager: Report A transgender customer days away from gender-affirming surgery said she was discriminated against by a diner manager who told her not to use the women's restroom again, NJ Advance Media reported. Jersey City's Erin Kinahan, 63, says the night manager at The Edison Diner harassed her after leaving the women's bathroom on Sunday, May 8, the outlet reports. Kinahan said she and her friends are regulars at the diner which is located near the Pride Center of New Jersey. Diner owner Evan Kalambakas told the outlet that while the manager's employment was not terminated over the alleged harass…