NEW YORK CITY SETTLES RACE DISCRIMINATION CLASS-ACTION SUIT
The City of New York has agreed to settle a class-action race discrimination lawsuit against its Parks Department. The case involved a claim that the Parks Department had a pattern and practice of paying minorities significantly less than their white counterparts, and creating an environment which was rife with racially charged derogatory remarks. The plaintiffs’ also alleged that complaints would go unanswered and retaliation for making a complaint was the norm.
In this case, according to the 2/27/08 New York Times article by Diane Cardwell, the data showed that over 90% of those Parks Department employees who were earning less that $20,000 per year were either African-American or Hispanic, whereas only 14.2% of those earning between $50,000 and $60,000 were either African-American or Hispanic. This disparity is significant in that it demonstrates a pattern and practice of discriminatory conduct over a period of time.
It is important to note that discrimination need not be proven with a smoking gun, but one form of evidence that a plaintiff may use in a discrimination case is that of statistical evidence, which is apparent in the Parks Department case.
