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Discrimination

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School District Failed To Address Race, Gender Based Bullying In Westchester: Attorney General School District Failed To Address Race, Gender Based Bullying In Westchester: Attorney General
School District Failed To Address Race, Gender Based Bullying In Westchester: Attorney General Following an investigation that found a Westchester school district failed to adequately address race- and gender-based bullying and harassment against students, the district has agreed to make the needed changes to improve its response to these incidents, officials said.  The Mamaroneck Union Free School District agreed to make these changes following an investigation conducted by the New York Office of the Attorney General, Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday, July 18.  According to James, the investigation was started in June 2020 following allegations from…

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by Ben Crnic
Politics
Protest Planned For GOP Presidential Hopeful Ron DeSantis' Visit To Hudson Valley Protest Planned For GOP Presidential Hopeful Ron DeSantis' Visit To Hudson Valley
Protest Planned For GOP Presidential Hopeful Ron DeSantis' Visit To Hudson Valley As Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, heads to the Hudson Valley for an upscale fundraiser, local Democrats, and LBGTQ supporters, plan to protest. DeSantis is slated to appear at an invitation-only $ 6,600-a-person fundraising event in Rockland County at the Crowne Plaza in Suffern on Thursday, June 29. In advance of the event, reportedly planned by Seth Gribetz, the Englewood, New Jersey investor, local Democrats are putting out the call for demonstrators on their Facebook page. "We are taking action and organizing a powerful, peaceful protest to let Gover…

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by Kathy Reakes
Sports
Court Sides With Hudson Valley Woman Whose Middle Finger Cost Her College Scholarship Court Sides With Hudson Valley Woman Whose Middle Finger Cost Her College Scholarship
Court Sides With Hudson Valley Woman Whose Middle Finger Cost Her College Scholarship A former University of Connecticut athlete from New York's Hudson Valley who was stripped of her full college scholarship after she raised a middle finger following a championship game victory has won a victory in court, a report by Courthouse News Service said.  In November 2014, UConn women's soccer player and then-freshman Noriana Radwan, from the Dutchess County village of Wappingers Falls, flashed her middle finger to a television camera after her team beat the University of South Florida 3-2 in the American Athletic Conference championship game.  Immediately after the w…

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by Ben Crnic
News
NY Health Dept. Discriminated Against Mentally Ill By Barring Patients From Adult Homes: Judge NY Health Dept. Discriminated Against Mentally Ill By Barring Patients From Adult Homes: Judge
NY Health Dept. Discriminated Against Mentally Ill By Barring Patients From Adult Homes: Judge Adult care facilities in New York can no longer bar individuals suffering from serious mental illness, a judge has ruled. In her ruling Thursday, Oct. 6, Supreme Court Justice Gretchen Walsh said State Department of Health (DOH) regulations prohibiting certain adult homes from admitting those with serious mental illness discriminate against the mentally ill and violate the federal Fair Housing Act. The ruling was the culmination of a six-year lawsuit brought by Oceanview Manor Home for Adults, a privately-owned adult care facility in Coney Island that operates an assisted living program. …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video
CT AG Opens Probe Into Greenwich Schools' Hiring Practices After Assistant Principal's Video Connecticut's attorney general announced his office has launched a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices of a Fairfield County school district after a video went viral of an assistant principal making comments about his hiring practices. Attorney General William Tong said Thursday, Sept. 1, he plans to investigate the Greenwich Public School District for any potentially illegal discrimination or other actionable misconduct related to the video that "appears to contain troubling, discriminatory statements that appear to have been made by a Greenwich public school official." Th…

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by Kathy Reakes
Sports
Students Barred From Playoff Game After Racial Taunts In Westchester Students Barred From Playoff Game After Racial Taunts In Westchester
Students Barred From Playoff Game After Racial Taunts In Westchester The student section for a Hudson Valley high school playoff game will be quiet for an upcoming semifinal matchup after there were reportedly racist taunts lobbied at student-athletes. During the quarterfinal matchup between Dutchess County-based Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie and the Ossining High School girls basketball team, there were reports of alleged racist comments made toward players, prompting a swift response from education officials in the region. In response, Our Lady of Lourdes Athletic Director Bill Kyle issued an alert to the community advising that they wil…

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by Zak Failla
News
NY State Trooper Sues Cuomo, Top Aide Melissa DeRosa Over Sexual Harassment Allegations NY State Trooper Sues Cuomo, Top Aide Melissa DeRosa Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
NY State Trooper Sues Cuomo, Top Aide Melissa DeRosa Over Sexual Harassment Allegations A female New York State Police trooper is suing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, his top aide, and her employer for alleged discrimination and retaliation in connection to the sexual harassment scandal that led to his ousting from office. The unnamed trooper who claimed that Cuomo groped her is suing the former governor, his longtime aide Melissa DeRosa, alleging that he “violated” her and that his top lieutenant helped cover it up. “Trooper 1” is seeking damages from the two and a declaratory judgment that they both “violated federal, state, and civil laws” in a lawsuit that was filed in the Eas…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
School District In New England Held Racially Segregated Events, Lawsuit Claims School District In New England Held Racially Segregated Events, Lawsuit Claims
School District In New England Held Racially Segregated Events, Lawsuit Claims A national parent-led organization that aims to “reclaim our schools from activists promoting harmful agendas” is suing a New England school district for alleged discrimination against white students. The Parents Defending Education organization in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, is accusing Wellesley Public Schools of discrimination by creating certain affinity groups for communities of color. It is further alleged that Wellesley held segregated events for students where some were invited but white students were excluded. 
“It is appalling that an American public school has consciously im…

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by Zak Failla
News
Asian-American Business Leaders Create New Initiative To Fight Racism, Discrimination Asian-American Business Leaders Create New Initiative To Fight Racism, Discrimination
Asian-American Business Leaders Create New Initiative To Fight Racism, Discrimination “...We are tired of being treated less than American…”  So begins an open letter in the Wednesday, March 31, 2021 edition of The Wall Street Journal signed by over 1,000 American-Asian business leaders. Some of the names (or at least their companies) you'll probably recognize: Jerry Yang, Eric Yuan, and Steve Chen, for instance, the co-founder of Yahoo, CEO and founder of Zoom, and co-founder of YouTube, respectively. But there are hundreds more who have made an impact in their fields and communities. In an email sent to supporters, David Lu, a managing partner at Hyphen Captial and one of…

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by Vira Mamchur Schwartz
News
School District In Westchester Investigating 'Disturbing Social Media Posts' School District In Westchester Investigating 'Disturbing Social Media Posts'
School District In Westchester Investigating 'Disturbing Social Media Posts' There will be a new item added to the docket on a Board of Education meeting in Westchester County after “disturbing” social media posts involving members of the school district circulated online. Port Chester Schools Superintendent Edward Kliszus issued a statement on Thursday, Sept. 17, warning parents that there have been harassing and racially biased social media posts that have been discovered, though he did not explain the exact content of the posts. In a statement, Klizszus called the post “disturbing,” and said they will be a focus of the 5 p.m. Port Chester Board of Education meeti…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
School Board President Calls For Member To Resign After Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests School Board President Calls For Member To Resign After Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests
School Board President Calls For Member To Resign After Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests Click here for an updated story - School Board Member Resigns Over Facebook Posts On George Floyd, Protests While recognizing free speech rights, Brewster School Board President Sonia Mesika is calling for a trustee to resign after she made inflammatory social media posts after the death of George Floyd. Earlier story - School Board Won't Remove Member For Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests On Sunday, May 31, a post on Trustee Krista Berardi's Facebook account said: “Read This Now!!! Was the George Floyd Incident Staged?” in all capital letters. Later, on Wednesday, June 3…

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by Zak Failla
News
Videos Of Students In Westchester Using Racist Language Under Investigation Videos Of Students In Westchester Using Racist Language Under Investigation
Videos Of Students In Westchester Using Racist Language Under Investigation An investigation is underway after an area school district became aware of videos featuring "racially insensitive language" by students. The videos, currently circulating on social media among Northern Westchester students in the Lakeland Central School District who attend Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak and Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor came to the attention of district officials earlier this week, the district said on Wednesday, June 3. "Based on initial findings, these incidents appear to have taken place in the past, several years ago, and are now being recirculated," sa…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
New Workplace Harassment Protections Become Law In New York New Workplace Harassment Protections Become Law In New York
New Workplace Harassment Protections Become Law In New York Employees in New York will be further protected from harassment under new legislation signed into law by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The new law “strengthens New York's anti-discrimination laws to ensure employees can seek justice and perpetrators will be held accountable by eliminating the restriction that harassment is ‘severe or pervasive’ in order to be legally actionable.” The legislation also mandates that all non-disclosure agreements allow employees to file a complaint of harassment or discrimination, and extends the statute of limitations for employment sexual harassment claims fil…

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by Zak Failla
News
Swastikas Found Inside Textbook At Middle School In Westchester Swastikas Found Inside Textbook At Middle School In Westchester
Swastikas Found Inside Textbook At Middle School In Westchester Police in New Rochelle were called to a middle school in Westchester this week to investigate the latest incident involving swastikas. Officers from the New Rochelle Police Department responded to the school on Tuesday, April 9, when there was a report of swastikas drawn inside the back of a textbook. Last month, the school launched an investigation when the sign of hate was etched in a bathroom at Albert Leonard. Late last year, a four-inch swastika was found at the New Rochelle High School.  Police said that in the latest incident, a student reported to administrators finding the sw…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Swastika Found In Bathroom Of Middle School In New Rochelle Swastika Found In Bathroom Of Middle School In New Rochelle
Swastika Found In Bathroom Of Middle School In New Rochelle Educators are hoping to use a hateful gesture as a teaching lesson after a swastika was found etched in a middle school bathroom in Westchester. A middle school student in New Rochelle reported the swastika to school security on Thursday, March 14 though it was not clear when they were carved into the bathroom stall door. The incident is under investigation, police said. The latest incident comes approximately four months after a four-inch swastika was found at the New Rochelle High School, which prompted a police investigation. The swastika has since been removed. In response to the lates…

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by Zak Failla
News
Lawsuit Over Transgender Hostess' Firing At Westchester Applebee's Settled For $100K Lawsuit Over Transgender Hostess' Firing At Westchester Applebee's Settled For $100K
Lawsuit Over Transgender Hostess' Firing At Westchester Applebee's Settled For $100K The firing of a transgender employee at a Westchester Applebee’s over alleged sexual harassment has led to a $100,000 settlement following a lawsuit from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A Title VII lawsuit was filed by the EEOC last year against Apple Metro Inc., which operates Applebee’s in Westchester, following the alleged incident, which happened to an employee in Hawthorne. Staff members allegedly made inappropriate comments about the employee’s transgender status, referring to her with male names and pronouns and making repeated offensive comments regarding her genitals. …

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by Zak Failla
Business
Starbucks Will Close More Than 8K Stores For Day Of Racial-Bias Training Starbucks Will Close More Than 8K Stores For Day Of Racial-Bias Training
Starbucks Will Close More Than 8K Stores For Day Of Racial-Bias Training More than 8,000 Starbucks will be closed during the afternoon for one day next month as the company conducts racial-bias education following racial complaints at several stores and the highly publicized arrests of two African-Americans at a Philadelphia store. The training will be provided to more than 175,000 employees across the country on Tuesday, May 29, led by nationally recognized efforts, and will become part of new protocols for new employees, company officials announced on Tuesday. The two men arrested at the Philadelphia location were arrested after sitting in the store without bu…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Report: Westchester Teacher Suing District Faces 40 Disciplinary Charges Report: Westchester Teacher Suing District Faces 40 Disciplinary Charges
Report: Westchester Teacher Suing District Faces 40 Disciplinary Charges The Mount Vernon math teacher who is suing the school district for alleged discrimination has had dozens of disciplinary charges filed against him, according to a lohud report. Hilary Bailey, 61, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Benjamin Turner Middle School Principal Jonathan Brown, claiming that he was unfairly treated due to his age and a medical condition he suffers from. Bailey was hired by the district in 2000, while Brown became principal at the middle school in 2013. According to the report, Bailey is facing 40 disciplinary charges, including insubor…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Westchester Middle School Teacher Sues District For Alleged Discrimination Westchester Middle School Teacher Sues District For Alleged Discrimination
Westchester Middle School Teacher Sues District For Alleged Discrimination A former Mount Vernon School District educator is suing the district claiming that he was unjustly treated before departing, according to a lawsuit filed last month. Hilary Bailey, 61, has reportedly filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Benjamin Turner Middle School Principal Jonathan Brown claiming that he was unfairly treated due to his age and a medical condition he suffers from. Bailey was hired by the district in 2000, while Brown became principal at the middle school in 2013. According to reports, the conflict between the two men came to a head in 2014 when B…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Report: Westchester Teacher Files Discrimination Lawsuit Over Age, Asthma Report: Westchester Teacher Files Discrimination Lawsuit Over Age, Asthma
Report: Westchester Teacher Files Discrimination Lawsuit Over Age, Asthma MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. - A former Mount Vernon School District educator is suing the district claiming that he was unjustly treated before departing, according to a lohud report released on Tuesday. Hilary Bailey, 61, has reportedly filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Benjamin Turner Middle School Principal Jonathan Brown claiming that he was unfairly treated due to his age and a medical condition he suffers from. Bailey was hired by the district in 2000, while Brown became principal at the middle school in 2013. According to the report, the conflict between the two m…

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by Zak Failla