By Brandon Sipherd

The YMCA of the United States has been accused of systemic discrimination against black employees in compensation, promotions, and other employment practices.  Black employees are unrepresented in mid- and upper-level positions at the YMCA, and are paid less and receive fewer promotions than their coworkers.

Since about 2003, black employees have consistently earned less than non-blacks holding similar job positions, received promotions less frequently than non-blacks, and were assigned lower-earning positions at disproportionately lower rates than non-blacks.  This resulted in a higher turnover rate of black employees than white employees.

Last week, present and former employees filed a lawsuit against the YMCA in federal court in Chicago.  The plaintiffs allege that there exists a culture of discrimination at the YMCA that resulted in denying black employees equal employment opportunities.

In August 2005, the YMCA ordered a salary review study of its various employees.  The results of the study showed an existing need to make adjustments in salary, including salary equity adjustments for black employees who were underpaid as compared to their coworkers.  The YMCA allegedly knew of the results but failed to take any corrective measures.   Instead, organization executives chose to ignore the studies’ results and continued with the status quo.

Representatives of the YMCA vigorously deny the allegations stating that such behaviors and actions are inconsistent with the core values of the organization.

It appears that this lawsuit will continue to move forward since neither side has yet to agree to any settlement offer.

At Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, we believe that discrimination has no place in a democratic and free society.  Our employment law attorneys are dedicated to resolving issues of discrimination based on race in the workplace and elsewhere.  Our firm has had considerable success in handling matters such as these throughout Long Island and the New York City area.  We take great pride not only in providing quality legal service and representation, but also in being there for clients when they need it most.

For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658.

By Karen Best

Romell Broom was sentenced to death for the September 14th rape and murder of 14 year old Tryna Middleton. Broom was just a needle away from being executed in the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility when his vein collapsed. A prison log book blames the problem on Brooms previous drug use. The log book also indicated that the medical team took an hour to find the vein that did not work.

Broom was reportedly cooperating with the medical team because he  was ready to die. He assisted the team in trying to find other veins in his arms and legs but nothing worked. The execution had to be called off because the medical team didn’t believe the vein would be able to hold once the execution reached the point for the lethal drugs to be administered.

Governor Ted Strickland ordered Broom a one week reprieve after Broom’s lawyer faxed and e-mailed a request to the Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice. There is an Ohio law that requires executions to be quick and painless. His lawyer also stated, continuing the effort would have been a violation of Broom’s constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment.

It is possible that Broom’s execution might not occur in a week if there are legal challenges. A representative from Death Penalty Information Center believes there might be an issue of Ohio’s standards of decency to subject an individual to multiple executions. The Americans Civil Liberties Union of Ohio also interjected on behalf of Broom. Counsel from the organization stated “Ohio’s execution system is fundamentally flawed. If the state is going to take a person’s life, they must ensure that it is done as humanely as possible.”

Civil rights are different from any other rights we have as citizens of a free country. They represent basic principles of democracy and fairness, and protect our individual abilities to live life on our own terms. Because of that, whenever a person’s civil rights are violated by another — whether that person is an employer, a police officer or a government agency — the violation is deeply personal. As a firm, we have experience in all aspects of civil rights litigation, and are frequently sought out by radio, television and print media journalists to discuss these topics. For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

By Karen Best

On a trip to Ukraine to do charity work Elton John visited a hospital for HIV-infected children. While touring the hospital John and his partner David Furnish met and fell in love with a baby named Lev. The couple took to Lev so much they decided they wanted to adopt him.

Unfortunately for John, he did not meet the qualifications to adopt under Ukrainian law. Ukrainian family minister, Yuriy Pavlenko, informed John that because he is over 45 years older than Lev and isn’t in a traditional marriage he was ineligible to adopt. In Ukrainian homosexual marriages are not recognized. Also, the adopting parents must not be over 45 years of the adopted child and John is 62.

Pavlenko stated, “Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children … and the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years.” “The law is the same for everybody: for a president, for a minister, for Elton John.”

At Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, we try to accommodate as many of our clients’ legal needs as possible. This builds trust and provides value to the client in many ways. And although our firm has earned a tremendous reputation in cases that can generally be described as civil rights or employment litigation, the experience and skills we have developed in those matters translate very well to matters involving family law. For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

Written By: Rodrigo C. Tordecilla

In a recent speech before the NAACP Convention, President Obama told attendees that “an African-American child is roughly five times as likely as a white child to see the inside of a prison.” Unfortunately for a Harvard Scholar, this statistic became a reality. A few hours before President Obama made this statement, Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr., a distinguished professor at Harvard University and considered one of the most powerful and influential black scholars in U.S. history, was arrested.

Gates had returned from a research trip to China only to find the front door to his Harvard-owned house jammed shut. His driver helped him in trying to open the door, but by the time Gates was on the phone with his leasing company, a policeman had arrived after a neighbor spotted two men looking as if they were breaking into the house. Supposedly upon arrival, the policeman asked Gates to step outside, but Gates refused. The officer entered the home and asked for Gates’ ID, which he initially refused to show, and finally had him arrested for allegedly “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior.”  Gates said that he in fact did show the officer his ID and asked the officer to identify himself. He refused and proceeded to arrest Gates. The charge against Gates was eventually dropped and the city of Cambridge issued a statement calling the incident “regrettable and unfortunate.”

It is argued that had Gates been a white professor, he would not have been arrested nor would his neighbors have alerted the police. His arrest has called the attention of individuals who are against the notion that America can now be considered a “post-racial paradise,” especially because the nation’s president is black. Until such incidents cease to occur, race will still remain an issue and paradise will continue to be out of reach.

It truly is sad and unfortunate when individuals are subjected to racism or discrimination, especially in a nation that was created on premises such as equal rights for all. The lawyers at Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, located in Nassau County, New York, have fought against discrimination for over two decades with much success. If you have been a victim of discrimination because of your age, gender, race, or sexual orientation, call 1-800-585-4658 to schedule an appointment for free consultation.

By Karen Best

The NAACP celebrates its 100th anniversary this week.  In honor of this historic occasion the organization is holding their Centennial Convention in New York from July 11-16, 2009. The purpose of the convention is to establish policies and programs of action for the ensuing year. Numerous political figures such as, General Colin Powell, Rev. Al Sharpton, New York Governor David Patterson and President Barack Obama are scheduled speakers.

The NAACP is the oldest, largest and most recognized civil rights organization. Their mission has been to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred or racial discrimination. Over the course of its 100 years the NAACP has tackled issues including lynching, segregation, voting rights and civil rights inside and outside the courtroom.

With many of the active members getting older and the election of the first African American President there have been assertions that the NAACP is no longer needed. Rep. Charles Rangel echoed the sentiments of many by saying “You bet your life we do”. Attorney General Eric Holder followed Rep. Rangel by saying “the country has made enormous progress”, but he warned Obama’s election is not the endpoint.

The law firm of Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC agrees. For more than two decades we have been championing the rights of employees and fighting discrimination in the workplace. If you believe you have been discriminated against by an employer, call Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

Leeds Morelli & Brown:: Law Firm Blog

The Chicago Tribune reports that new Congressional legislation, which the House scheduled to vote, January 9, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-discriminate9-2009jan09,0,1545474.story , seeks to undo a Supreme Court decision which dismissed a workplace discrimination lawsuit brought by Lilly Ledbetter against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.  Ledbetter is a woman who was paid less than her male co-workers for nearly 20 years.

Ledbetter, who alleged she was paid much less than comparable male employees for nearly two decades, won at the trial level, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that Ledbetter had not brought a timely action.  The Court held that Ledbetter should have filed suit within six months of Goodyear’s discriminatory pay decision based on her gender; however, Ledbetter discovered the pay discrimination late in her career. Read the rest of this entry »