A City of Los Angeles’ Recreation and Parks Department grounds keeping supervisor rounded up 30 of his workers inside a city-run basketball gym to give them a what was intended to be a positive pep rally, but what it apparently turned into was something quite different.
Supervisor Abel Perez was elaborating on how he climbed the corporate ladder, when his team of consciousness must not have run through his logic filter and he told his workers, “I hate all white people,” while telling a disparaging story about one of his old boss. That’s when everyone’s head turned to the only white person in the room: James Duffy, a gardener for the city.
More Details of the Race Discrimination Case
City of LA Ordered to Pay $3.3M in Discrimination Case
The following are allegations and details that came out in news reports and documents filed in the lawsuit case:¹
• Duffy alleged that he was taunted and given bad assignments by his supervisor.
• Duffy decided to sue the city for discrimination and harassment due to his race and his mental disability.
• A jury awarded Duffy $3.3 million in 2015.
• In July, City attorneys plan to deliver an appellee argument claiming the city was improperly notified of Duffy’s allegations.
• Perez denies he made the “hate” comment or any other discriminatory comments.
• Six years following the alleged remarks, Perez holds the title of Senior Park Maintenance Supervisor and earns a reported $98,366.
• It is city policy to recommend firing employees after their second verified offence of discrimination or harassment.
Potential for Class Action Lawsuit Against the City of Los Angeles
The potential also exists for a possible class action lawsuit against the city for negligence, because there appears to be a pattern of repeated discrimination where little or no discipline has occurred in five known cases. The city has lost in each of those discrimination cases. Here’s a list of reasons for a potential class action lawsuit based on repeated discrimination against city workers:
• A pattern of negligence is emerging that the city continues to discriminate against workers and does very little to discipline or fire those workers alleged of discrimination.
• The city has now lost five discrimination lawsuit cases in a row.
• Those five lawsuit cases have cost the city an estimated $15 million.
• In all five cases, the city appears to violate its own policies of not disciplining any wrongdoing.
• In all five cases, the courts have issued strongly worded rulings against the city.
• The city has promoted most of the accused employees in all of those cases.
Contact Los Angeles Discrimination Attorney James Urbanic
If you’ve been the target of workplace discrimination, harassment or retaliation, you can turn to Los Angeles Discrimination Attorney James Urbanic for help defending your rights and pursuing justice. Since 2000, Los Angeles Discrimination Attorney James Urbanic has been a dedicated, aggressive advocate for his clients, helping them stand up to even the most formidable opponents in any legal setting.
In addition to his dedication to pursuing justice for each client, Attorney James Urbanic has the experience, insight and resources you can rely on to help you:
• Hold businesses accountable for violating your rights
• Win the compensation and justice you are entitled to.
To speak with Attorney James Urbanic, call (310) 216-0900 or send our firm an email using the contact form on this page.
From our offices based in Los Angeles, Attorney James Urbanic provides superior representation to clients throughout Los Angeles County and southern California, including (but not limited to) those in Glendale, Burbank, Alhambra, Van Nuys, Santa Monica and Orange County.
¹“Los Angeles loses discrimination cases but workers escape discipline” published in Los Angeles Daily News, June 2014.
