discrimination news stories on Newser

Gay HR Director Sues Boss for Pro-Gay Bias

Rob Quinn — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:48:05 CDT

In one of the stranger discrimination lawsuits in recent memory, a gay man is suing his straight former boss over an alleged pro-gay hiring bias. Jamie Ardigo says he was fired as HR director of venture capitalist Christopher Burch's company after trying to change its hiring practices. Ardigo tells ABC...

For Kids, Mom and Dad's Attitudes on Prejudice Rule

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:20:19 CDT

Where do kids get prejudiced ideas from? Adults—at least when the children are young. A new study found that when first-graders were told by an adult that another group of children was "mean," those first-graders in turn evaluated the other group as "mean"—even if they had a positive...

Mystery Man at Tyler Clementi Trial: I Saw the Webcam

Kevin Spak — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:32:05 CST

The man Tyler Clementi was having sex with when his roommate allegedly spied on him says he noticed that a webcam was trained on them during the act, USA Today reports. "While we were intimate on the bed, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the webcam facing toward the...

Blacks Face Discrimination in Bankruptcy, Too

John Johnson — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:30:09 CST

It looks to be a discriminatory double-whammy: The banking industry steers black people toward bad home loans, and bankruptcy lawyers stick it to them when the loans go bust. A new study shows that black people are twice as likely to end up in the tougher and more expensive form...

Sheriff Joe Fires Back at Feds' Allegations

Matt Cantor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:14:10 CST

Arizona's embattled Sheriff Joe Arpaio is hitting back at Justice Department allegations that his office shows "a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias" against Hispanics. "Don't come to use me as a whipping boy for a national, international problem," he told reporters, saying he has "an idea of the politics involved...

Professor: I Didn't 'Silence' Stuttering Student

Kevin Spak — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:27:20 CDT

Elizabeth Snyder says she did nothing wrong by refusing to call on a stuttering student, calling herself the “victim of a character assassination.” Snyder, a professor at a New Jersey community college, tells the New York Times that she’s “gotten the most hateful, vile, vicious emails” since it ran a...

Feds: Company Has Glass Ceiling—Against Men

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:28:04 CDT

A little role reversal on the job-discrimination front: The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accuses a Puerto Rican jewelry and beauty products company of hiring only women for managerial jobs. In its federal lawsuit, the agency says Ventura Corporation repeatedly discriminated against men from 2004 through at least 2008 by...

Gay Cop: Dept. Wouldn't Let Me March in Pride Parade

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:11:05 CDT

A gay police officer has enlisted Gloria Allred's legal help—so you know we're about to report on a buzzy lawsuit. The unnamed cop is filing a discrimination complaint against his department, which he says denied his written request that he be allowed to march in uniform during Sunday's West...

Comic Must Pay $16K for Lesbian Insults: Court

Matt Cantor — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:55:05 CDT

A Canadian human rights tribunal has ordered a stand-up comedian to pay a woman $15,700 after he insulted her and her partner at a show. Lorna Pardy says amateur comic Guy Earle discriminated against her based on gender and sexual preference, the Vancouver Sun reports. The owner of the...