70 y/o sues DOE for age/race discrimination

[DoryGray]

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/22771...-race-bias

Wonder where Mr. Johnson lives; anyone familiar w/ this? Don't want to start a war, but his claim of extensive experience, over 60 interviews & still not being hired makes ya wonder.

[Lee M-S]

The article says a friend told him "You have three strikes against you: You're old, you're white and you're male."

and his attorney says "If you go to Big Island, you can count on the fingers of two hands, the numbers of Caucasians who are hired to teach in the Department of Education."

I can think of seven former and current teachers here that I know; five are haoli, and two of them are male. Maybe it's his age, maybe he's just obnoxious in interviews.



><(((*> ~~~~ ><(("> ~~~~ ><'> ~~~~ >(>

[kalakoa]

quote:

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Originally posted by Lee M-S

The article says a friend told him "You have three strikes against you: You're old, you're white and you're male."

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Welcome to the club: no sympathy, here, it's a classic "wrong place/wrong time" thing.

If I didn't bring my job with me, I would have been forced back to the mainland years ago.

[ourdoc]

"Eric Seitz, Johnson's attorney, said in several instances his client was the only candidate to make the interview list but still was not selected."

If that is true, and it wont be hard to prove if it is, this is a real problem. They cannot just refuse to hire someone who is qualified, and if he is qualified to be a substitute with the DOE he is qualified to be full time. I would not hesitate to say there is racial bias here I've seen it time and time again and have been the recipient of it over 20 years ago. If it is proved its going to cost the taxpayers money and someone should lose their job.

[hmching]

James Johnson, OLD, WHITE, & MALE. "George Santayana", a teacher must have knowledge, patience, & compassion. After all these years as a teacher what have you conveyed to your students? Of what significant importance are you to the little ones? My professor in 1966 made one statement that changed the course of my life. Why sue because you are OLD, WHITE, & MALE. Of what value are you? If you are "learned", THEN SHARE AND EXPRESS YOUR KNOWLEDGE, BE A LECTURER, and not a SUNSTITUTE lecturer. If you are well versed. articulate, silver tongued, eloquent, responsive to others amid their objections, respond with compassion & patience, oh boy, oh boy, people will pay to hear you. They will travel to hear you, PAY TO HEAR YOU SPEAK. Don't be a substitute, be a subject of, "I was there to hear James Johnson." I have a book and in it was written, "Heard (Rabindranath) Tagore read this Jan 23 1917. The book Crescent Moon (child poems) written by Rabindranath Tagore was published in New York THE MACMILLAN CO. 1914. A CENTURY AGO. YOU STILL GOT TIME ON YOUR SIDE.

[dmbwest]

Don't forget forth strike of being a boomer : )

aloha,
pog