Dior designer John Galliano has been fired by the fashion powerhouse after a video surfaced in which Galliano drunkenly spews a Jew-hating tirade.  The designer states “I love Hitler,” to a woman sitting with her friends at the table next to Galliano’s in a Paris cafe.  “People like you would be dead today,” he hisses. “Your mothers, your forefathers, would be f- -king gassed and dead.”  Christian Dior took immediate action, firing the famous designer.  By taking immediate action, Christian Dior made a very powerful statement: Anti-Semitic slurs are not tolerated.  Read more: NY Post.

             When it comes to racial or ethnic slurs, sexually inappropriate language or ageist remarks, there is no denying that it continues to thrive in the workplace.  There is an overwhelming amount of reports of what is referred to as “water cooler banter.”  Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.   Offensive conduct that rises to the level of harassment in the workplace is unlawful.  This may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance. 

            Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC is a nationally recognized firm in the area of employment law.  Our firm has had considerable success in matters of employment discrimination throughout Long Island and the New York City area.  For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

A Staten Island woman, Blanche Scala, 59, died from blunt trauma to the head after her husband, Thomas Scala, 57, beat her for not paying for cable TV while he was hospitalized and for not visiting him at the hospital.  It is suspected that an ashtray, which was thrown at the wife’s head, is what caused her death.  When the woman packed her clothes and tried to escape their home, her husband filled them with rubbing alcohol and used hairspray to set them on fire where she burned her hands trying to put out the flames.  After being treated, the deceased wife tried to go to sleep that night and complained to her friend about nausea and headaches.  The husband had admitted to family members that he had hit his wife.  The husband has been charged with assault and criminal mischief for the alleged attack.  However, he could face a murder charge for this event. Read More.

According to the New York State Office for the prevention of Domestic Violence (NYSODV), it is not always easy to recognize abuse, even for victims themselves.  The NYSODV has posted some factors to help you figure out if there is abuse in your relationship:

•    Your partner does things that make you afraid.
•    Your partner does things to control you.
•    Your partner threatens to hurt you.
•    Your partner physically abuses you.
•    If you think this publication might be for you, please keep reading. As you do, remember:
•    You are not alone.
•    You are not to blame.
•    You do not deserve to be abused.
•    There is help available.
•    This publication is also for you if you know someone who is being abused or someone you think might be being abused by their partner. You will find information on how you can help a friend, family member, co-worker, neighbor, or acquaintance, including:
•    How to talk to them about the abuse.
•    How you can be prepared to help.
•    How to help them get support and services.

Additionally some important facts about domestic violence according to the NYSODV include:

•    1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. (Tjaden, Patrica and Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, “Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence.” 2000). http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/181867.pdf)
•    Almost 1/3 of all female homicides victims in the United States were killed by their intimate partner. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Intimate Partner Violence in the United States.” December 2007).
•    Approximately 450,000 domestic incidents are reported annually to police departments in NYS. (DCJS Domestic Incident Report Data, 2001-2002).
•    Only about 48% of all violent victimizations, in 2003, were reported to police (Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, “Criminal Victimization, 2003.” September 2004).
•    84% of adults believe that domestic violence is a problem in the United States. (Harris International. “Majority of U.S. Adults Think Domestic Violence is a Serious Problem in the United States Today.” June 2006).  http://www.harrisinteractive.com

As one of the prominent domestic relation firms in New York, Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. works to achieve successful divorce judgments that are in the best interests of their clients and their clients children.  The firm handles a full range of domestic relations issues including child support, child custody, spousal maintenance, as well as the equitable distribution of assets.  If you are seeking a separation agreement, divorce action, or other family law issues please feel free to contact Leeds, Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation or view their web page at www.lmblaw.com.

A debate has sprouted in Mississippi over a proposal to put a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard on the state license plate.  The KKK leader is Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest who led a massacre of black Union soldiers during a battle at Fort Pillow, Tenn. in 1864 and leading the KKK in its early days.  The Sons of the Confederate Veterans organization is sponsoring a series of specialty plates over the next four years to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  In response, the state’s chapter of the NAACP strongly criticized the proposal. Read More.

This kind of proposal lends itself to a discussion about discrimination.  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or religion.  Discrimination on the basis of an immutable characteristic associated with race, such as skin color, hair texture, or certain facial features violates Title VII, even though not all members of the race share the same characteristic. Even though race and color overlap, they are not synonymous. Color discrimination can occur between persons of different races or ethnicities, or between persons of the same race or ethnicity. Although Title VII does not define “color,” Courts have created a common understanding which includes: pigmentation, complexion, or skin shade or tone. Thus, color discrimination occurs when a person is discriminated against based on the lightness, darkness, or other color characteristic of the person. Title VII prohibits race/color discrimination against all persons, including Caucasians.  Although a plaintiff may prove a claim of discrimination through direct or circumstantial evidence, some courts take the position that if a white person relies on circumstantial evidence to establish a reverse discrimination claim, he or she must meet a heightened standard of proof. The Commission, in contrast, applies the same standard of proof to all race discrimination claims, regardless of the victim’s race or the type of evidence used.  Read More.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C., dedicate a large amount of their practice to discrimination claims.  For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658 Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s website is located at www.lmblaw.com.