Federal jury rules black people can’t call each other the “n-word” in the workplace
Via the New York Daily News:
A Manhattan jury awarded $280,000 to a black woman who was repeatedly called the N-word by her boss β whoβs also black, and claimed he used the vile epithet as an endearing term.
βMy voice was heard today,β Brandi Johnson said Tuesday, after the eight-person federal jury awarded her $30,000 in punitive damages on top of the $250,000 it had already ordered STRIVE and its founder, Rob Carmona, to pay her in the discrimination case.
Carmonaβs voice was also heard by the jury β on a damning tape recording Johnson had made of her boss chewing her out in March 2012.
In the tape, Carmona repeatedly uses the racial slur against the 38-year-old single mother of two and a co-worker.
βIβm not saying, using the term βn—–β derogatory, βcause sometimes itβs good to know when to act like a n—–. But yβall act like n—–s all the time,β Carmona said.
When Johnson told her boss she was offended by his language, he said, βYou can be offended, but itβs true.β
βYou and her act like n—–s. And n—–s let their feelings rule them,β he said.
Carmona didnβt dispute making the comments, but maintained that he was doling out βtough love.β
He testified that he was trying to tell Johnson she was βtoo emotional,β wrapped up in βthe negative aspects of human nature.β
Carmona, who is black and of Puerto Rican descent, said the word has βmultiple contextsβ in the black and Latino communities, and not all of them bad.
He said the word can sometimes be used to convey love, and used the example of someone saying, βThis is my n—-.β
βThat means my boy, I love him, or whatever,β Carmona said. Asked if he meant to indicate love when he called Johnson the word, he said, βYes, I did.β
Riiiight.
Johnson says she was fired from her job after talking to higher ups about how she was talked to, and after complaining about the alleged sexual harassment of a STRIVE graduate.
This is interesting, considering a case of this nature involving a white manager calling a black employee the “n” word would be a no-brainer. Β This jury, at least, sees no difference in black on black use of it versus white on black.
Your thoughts?