To Settle a Race Discrimination and Retaliation Case, WSU Agrees to Pay $650,000
and Enact Policies to Prevent Future Discrimination
/EINPresswire.com/ In a lawsuit brought by The Blankenship Law Firm, WSU pays two former employees who alleged that they were subjected to race discrimination and retaliation $650,000 and enters an agreement with the EEOC to enact policies to prevent future discrimination and retaliation.
June 5, 2012 -- Former Washington State University employees, Dr. Ying Li, and Mr. Lizhong Yang, settled their federal court race discrimination and retaliation case for $650,000, $325,000 each.
Lead trial counsel for the employees, Scott C. G. Blankenship, and associate attorneys Nazik Youssef and Richard Goldsworthy, of The Blankenship Law Firm, negotiated the settlement after the case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle.
In the lawsuit, Mr. Yang and Dr. Li - who are of Chinese national origin and husband and wife - charged that while working in the WSU's Laboratory for Bioanalysis and Biotechnology headed by the Dean of the College of Sciences, they were subjected to overt discrimination by the lab supervisor based on their race and national origin, including being precluded from speaking Chinese at work and during breaks. According to Dr. Li and Mr. Yang, after they complained about discrimination to WSU's Center for Human Rights, Dr. Li and Mr. Yang were retaliatorily segregated into an all-Chinese seating arrangement and excluded from numerous lab meetings.
Dr. Li and Mr. Yang moved to America from China for better opportunity. Dr. Li, an employee of WSU for nine years, and Mr. Yang, an employee for six years, had made Pullman, Washington their home for themselves and their two children. Ultimately, however, when the discriminatory conduct would not stop, both felt forced to resign from WSU, leaving behind their long careers and home.
"Dr. Li and Mr. Yang came to America from China expecting to live the American dream, not expecting to see bias and prejudice at a progressive institution like WSU," said Seattle lawyer Scott Blankenship.
After conducting an investigation into the matter, WSU's own Center for Human Rights found that the Laboratory had violated the University's anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation policies in its treatment of Dr. Li and Mr. Yang.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also found that there was "reasonable cause" to believe that Dr. Li, Mr. Yang, and "other Asian or Chinese employees of the Washington State University's Laboratory for Bioanalysis and Biotechnology at the School of Molecular Biosciences were subjected to unfavorable terms and conditions of employment and an illegal hostile work environment consisting of race and national origin harassment." The EEOC concluded that WSU "created a work atmosphere that was so hostile based on race, national origin, and retaliation for opposing discrimination, that a reasonable person would be compelled to resign."
As part of the resolution, WSU signed a conciliation agreement prepared by the EEOC, which was signed by all parties, including Dr. Li and Mr. Yang. The conciliation agreement requires WSU to allow the EEOC to monitor the Laboratory for two years to ensure an environment free of discrimination and retaliation. It also mandates training of all individuals employed by the Laboratory on race and national origin discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as written guidelines for employees of the Laboratory regarding WSU's nondiscrimination policies.
Race and national origin discrimination, as well as retaliation for opposing such conduct, violates 42 U.S.C. § 1981, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). Prosecution through private counsel subjected WSU to a potential jury verdict that would have included punitive damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, and the broader protection of the WLAD, Washington State's antidiscrimination law.
"When we see bias, prejudice, and racism at institutions as progressive as WSU, this is a reminder that despite the great leaps forward in civil rights, race discrimination is alive and well," said Mr. Blankenship. "WSU ultimately investigated the complaints objectively. After Dr. Li and Mr. Yang sought to enforce their legal rights, WSU reached out to compensate them fairly, and is working with the federal government to prevent this from happening in the future."
Dr. Li, the former Assistant Research Professor said: "It all started with the simple belief that all Men are created equal and the law of the United States protects people of all ethnic groups. When looking back over the past three years, I can hardly believe we went through it. We thank everyone who helped support us with their honest statements, testimonies or investigations. We hope WSU will learn the lesson and adopt a zero tolerance policy against all forms of employment discrimination in the future."
The lab supervisor accused of discrimination and retaliation is currently still employed by WSU.
The Blankenship Law Firm, P.S., is an AV-rated law firm located in downtown Seattle with lawyers licensed in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The firm practice emphasizes employment law, including representing employees in all phases of negotiation and litigation. More information is available online at www.blankenshiplawfirm.com.
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/EINPresswire.com/ In a lawsuit brought by The Blankenship Law Firm, WSU pays two former employees who alleged that they were subjected to race discrimination and retaliation $650,000 and enters an agreement with the EEOC to enact policies to prevent future discrimination and retaliation.
June 5, 2012 -- Former Washington State University employees, Dr. Ying Li, and Mr. Lizhong Yang, settled their federal court race discrimination and retaliation case for $650,000, $325,000 each.
Lead trial counsel for the employees, Scott C. G. Blankenship, and associate attorneys Nazik Youssef and Richard Goldsworthy, of The Blankenship Law Firm, negotiated the settlement after the case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle.
In the lawsuit, Mr. Yang and Dr. Li - who are of Chinese national origin and husband and wife - charged that while working in the WSU's Laboratory for Bioanalysis and Biotechnology headed by the Dean of the College of Sciences, they were subjected to overt discrimination by the lab supervisor based on their race and national origin, including being precluded from speaking Chinese at work and during breaks. According to Dr. Li and Mr. Yang, after they complained about discrimination to WSU's Center for Human Rights, Dr. Li and Mr. Yang were retaliatorily segregated into an all-Chinese seating arrangement and excluded from numerous lab meetings.
Dr. Li and Mr. Yang moved to America from China for better opportunity. Dr. Li, an employee of WSU for nine years, and Mr. Yang, an employee for six years, had made Pullman, Washington their home for themselves and their two children. Ultimately, however, when the discriminatory conduct would not stop, both felt forced to resign from WSU, leaving behind their long careers and home.
"Dr. Li and Mr. Yang came to America from China expecting to live the American dream, not expecting to see bias and prejudice at a progressive institution like WSU," said Seattle lawyer Scott Blankenship.
After conducting an investigation into the matter, WSU's own Center for Human Rights found that the Laboratory had violated the University's anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation policies in its treatment of Dr. Li and Mr. Yang.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also found that there was "reasonable cause" to believe that Dr. Li, Mr. Yang, and "other Asian or Chinese employees of the Washington State University's Laboratory for Bioanalysis and Biotechnology at the School of Molecular Biosciences were subjected to unfavorable terms and conditions of employment and an illegal hostile work environment consisting of race and national origin harassment." The EEOC concluded that WSU "created a work atmosphere that was so hostile based on race, national origin, and retaliation for opposing discrimination, that a reasonable person would be compelled to resign."
As part of the resolution, WSU signed a conciliation agreement prepared by the EEOC, which was signed by all parties, including Dr. Li and Mr. Yang. The conciliation agreement requires WSU to allow the EEOC to monitor the Laboratory for two years to ensure an environment free of discrimination and retaliation. It also mandates training of all individuals employed by the Laboratory on race and national origin discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as written guidelines for employees of the Laboratory regarding WSU's nondiscrimination policies.
Race and national origin discrimination, as well as retaliation for opposing such conduct, violates 42 U.S.C. § 1981, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). Prosecution through private counsel subjected WSU to a potential jury verdict that would have included punitive damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, and the broader protection of the WLAD, Washington State's antidiscrimination law.
"When we see bias, prejudice, and racism at institutions as progressive as WSU, this is a reminder that despite the great leaps forward in civil rights, race discrimination is alive and well," said Mr. Blankenship. "WSU ultimately investigated the complaints objectively. After Dr. Li and Mr. Yang sought to enforce their legal rights, WSU reached out to compensate them fairly, and is working with the federal government to prevent this from happening in the future."
Dr. Li, the former Assistant Research Professor said: "It all started with the simple belief that all Men are created equal and the law of the United States protects people of all ethnic groups. When looking back over the past three years, I can hardly believe we went through it. We thank everyone who helped support us with their honest statements, testimonies or investigations. We hope WSU will learn the lesson and adopt a zero tolerance policy against all forms of employment discrimination in the future."
The lab supervisor accused of discrimination and retaliation is currently still employed by WSU.
The Blankenship Law Firm, P.S., is an AV-rated law firm located in downtown Seattle with lawyers licensed in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The firm practice emphasizes employment law, including representing employees in all phases of negotiation and litigation. More information is available online at www.blankenshiplawfirm.com.
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