Best Ohio racial discrimination Lawyer Reply: What should I do if the boss makes racist comments? Can I be fired for complaining that my boss is a racist? Can I tape my boss making racist comments? How can I find a race discrimination attorney in Cleveland?
A few days ago Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught making racist comments. His ex-girlfriend taped him making remarks aimed at African Americans and specifically Magic Johnson. (It is not unlawful to secretly tape a conversation if you are not the government or an attorney). At one point Sterling said he did not like that she took a photo with Magic and didn’t want her bringing Johnson to anymore Clippers games. Sterling’s diatribe was tame in comparison to many of the comments our employment attorneys have heard, but it was a disgusting display of racism nonetheless. (The public display of such racism helps our employment discrimination lawyers respond to naïve people disbelieving that any employer still makes racist comments in today’s society.)
Sterling’s comments highlight the general issues surrounding race that still exist in the United States. More specifically, they highlight the problems with race that emanate from outdated and anachronistic corporate cultures. The beliefs of the corporate leadership trickle down to middle management. In part, Sterling’s comments demonstrate how some large corporate entities with human resource departments and outside legal counsel still cannot help but violate anti-discrimination employment laws. If your CEO is setting the tone, and that tone is racist then the rest of the company will necessarily feel the tug of that racism, or the very least that such conduct is acceptable.
In the case of Sterling, he should be “fired” for making public, racist comments. New NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took swift action against Donald Sterling, banning him for life, and fining him $2.5 million. Of course, getting rid of a wealthy, powerful man like Sterling will not be simple. The other NBA franchise owners will have to vote him out of ownership. Silver will need to get 22 of 29 owners to vote Sterling out. But, if recent reports are reliable, the other owners are lining up to give Silver the support he needs and the boot to Sterling. And, what employer wants to set the town for their billion dollar company by publically voting to keep Sterling. Even if the vote is designated confidential, the results will leak.
The NBA did the right thing by acting so quickly against Sterling. If more corporations behaved like the NBA when racism, sexism, or other discriminatory behavior is discovered, employees would feel much more secure knowing their employer truly had their best interest in mind. Instead, employers usually sweep everything under the rug and in doing so tell their employees that their rights are not valued.
If you feel that you are being discriminated based on your race, whatever race that may be, then call the right attorney. Race discrimination includes being harassed, fired, wrongfully terminated, discriminated against, demoted, wrongfully disciplined, and denied wages. When you call the right attorney to schedule a free and confidential consultation at 866-797-6040, you will meet with a race discrimination lawyer from Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm who will help you determine the best way to pursue your legal claims.
Disclaimer:
The materials available at the top of this race discrimination page and on this employment law website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you are still asking: “What should I do …”, “I’m being discriminated against …”, “my boss is discriminating against me because …” or “How do I …”, your best option is to contact an Ohio attorney to obtain advice with respect to race discrimination questions or any particular employment law issue. Use and access to this employment law website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship. The legal opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual lawyer and may not reflect the opinions of Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm, attorney Brian Spitz, or any individual attorney.