Paula Deen, a successful celebrity chef, has succeeded in getting the discrimination charges against her thrown out – but not before the negative publicity severely damaged her reputation.
U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. agreed with Deen that the employee filing charges had no standing to sue her for poor treatment of black workers – because the employee who filed the suit was white.
The employee argued that the discriminatory behavior offended her and caused her stress. The judge acknowledged that this may be true, but found that she was not within the zone of interests protected by Title VII. To bring the suit successfully, she would have had to be discriminated against herself.
There are many lessons that both employees and employers can take away from the Paula Deen case and the media coverage. Here are a few:
First: treating employees with respect is not only the right thing to do, but also a smart business decision. Winning in court only means so much. Building a business often depends on having a reputation as someone people want to work with.
Second: Having a disrespectful boss can be a horrible experience – but that doesn’t mean you have a cause of action for a lawsuit. Being a jerk isn’t illegal. Before you pour your personal and financial resources into a lawsuit, sit down with a reputable lawyer to discuss your chances of success.
Third: It’s important to speak up for yourself – Legally, someone else can’t do it for you. This case would have looked very different if an employee who had been the target of the alleged discrimination would have filed a lawsuit.
If you have questions about your rights at work, contact a Minneapolis employment law attorney with LeBlanc Law & Mediation at 612-819-9652.
