Thursday, July 11, 2013

Another Birmingham employee alleges racism at City Hall, seeks federal intervention

Via Billy
 Bell

What comes around, goes around.

Another longtime Birmingham city employee has filed a federal charge of discrimination alleging racism, professional humiliation and retaliation within Mayor William Bell's administration. 

An EEOC charge is the first step before an individual may file a federal discrimination lawsuit.

In the charge sent to the Equal Opportunity Commission today, Charles Yates, a supervisor in the Public Works Department, says his problems began when Bell took office.

Yates, who is white, claims he was forced to take a lower-paying position and demeaned, including being told to stay out of City Hall or take a service elevator when in the building.

"Within days, my supervisor Adlai Trone, Director of Public Works, informed me that Chief of Operations (Jarvis)Patton issued a directive forbidding me to appear in City Hall for any reason," Yates' complaint alleges. "I was instructed that should I be called to City Hall, I was to arrange for one of my subordinate supervisors to handle the call. Approximately two weeks later, Public Works Director Trone reminded me again that the Mayor's Office did not want to see my face at City Hall."

Yates alleges his treatment further deteriorated when he spoke out against racism at the city, specifically regarding long-time city accountant Virginia Spidle who waged a protracted legal battle with the city to keep her job. 

Spidle won her appeal to regain her job and now has a pending federal discrimination lawsuit against the city.

More @ AL

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