And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Woman files suit against Indian Center
BY BUTCH MABIN Lincoln Journal Star
http://www.journalstar.com/stories/loc/sto1
Some American Indian employees at the Indian Center often
reported for work drunk and regularly took excessive sick
leave without repercussion, a former employee alleges in a
federal lawsuit.
The Indian employees often received preferential treatment,
Rebecca M. Carey alleged in her civil lawsuit against the
organization. The center at 1100 Military Road offers such
services as youth programs and low-income housing.
"Native American workers were allowed to go in the hole on
sick leave, did not go to work for days ... came to work
drunk," Carey, who is white, said in an interview this week.
"Staff knew it, but did nothing." Indian Center Executive
Director Randy Ross declined comment through a
spokeswoman.
Thursday, four non-Indian employees were laid off at the
center because of financial cutbacks, according to Helen Long
Soldier, board chairwoman. She said Friday the layoffs were
not related to the lawsuit filed by Carey, who left the center 13
months ago.
In her lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court, Carey,
37, alleged Indian Center administrators retaliated when she
complained about the preferential treatment given Indians.
The alleged retaliation -- which the lawsuit said consisted of
having fund-raising activities taken from her and being
excluded from staff meetings -- caused her such stress that she
resigned in February 1998.
Carey alleged the Indian Center's actions violated her rights
under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. She is seeking compensatory
and punitive damages and compensation for lost wages and
benefits.
According to the lawsuit, Carey began working at the Indian
Center in 1989 and was appointed interim housing director in
1996. The lawsuit indicated that when she attempted to
discipline an Indian staff member, the executive director at the
time -- Lawrence Spottedbird -- refused to support her.
"Often, Native American employees were given numerous
chances to keep their job despite their work performance in
comparison to non-Native American staff," according to the
lawsuit.
White men were also treated better than she was at the Indian
Center, Carey alleged. When she stepped down as interim
director in June 1997, the white man given the position was
"paid at a salary much higher" than hers, according to the
lawsuit.
When she became ill in July 1997, her superiors "badgered"
her about sick leave, even though American Indian and male
staff workers were not reprimanded for their use of sick leave,
Carey said in the lawsuit.
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
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