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Online Forum Leads To Hostile Workplace Lawsuit

Posted by Soulskill on from the freedom-to-be-jerks dept.

Tiger4 writes "A group of black Philadelphia police officers have filed a lawsuit against the police department and the city, alleging a hostile work environment due to a private website popular with police. Their story has received wide coverage. From CNN: 'The suit alleges white officers post on and moderate the privately operated site, Domelights.com, both on and off the job. Domelights' users "often joke about the racially offensive commentary on the site ... or will mention them in front of black police officers," thus creating "a racially hostile work environment," according to lawyers for the all-black Guardian Civic League, the lead plaintiff in the suit.' The site appears to be owned and operated by a member of the police force, but it is not funded or operated by the city. Management clearly knows it exists; it is possible police force members access it on the job, and the suit says some of them reference it on the job. Individual police force members have a right to their own opinions, but management has a responsibility to enforce the law fairly and equitably across the city and among their own workforce. What is the solution here?"

6 of 330 comments (clear)

  1. in other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Santa Claus is suing Philadelphia and its pro sports teams for fostering a hostile work environment.

  2. How much are they asking? by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 2, Funny

    How much money are they trying to get?
    $23,148,855,308,184,500?

  3. Re:Racist cops..... by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sir! I will have you know that I am neither a Cracker nor a Honky! I am a Jive Turkey and proud of it.

    --
    "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
  4. Re:The Solution Here by Jay+L · · Score: 2, Funny

    rights are hierarchical and, when they come into conflict, the one with higher precedence wins.

    Ah, but what if I put the lower-precedence right in parentheses?

    See, that's how they get you.

  5. Re:i woudln't do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    starting a lawsuit is the best way to get people to drag their feet when responding to an officer down call.

    Because you're sure these fine upstanding examples of police officers would otherwise rush to the aid of their black comrades...?

  6. Re:i woudln't do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah cause if they're racists in the first place they would *never* drag their feet in responding to that call. Better to maintain the status quo.