As we’ve seen over the past few months, one of the benefits of marijuana legalization has been states allowing those previously convicted to have their charges dismissed. Los Angeles County has become the next city to do just that.
Unfortunately, it’s no secret that black students are disciplined much harsher than their white counterparts. Even knowing that the case of 6-year-old Nadia King is still unusually disturbing.
I did not see Ford v Ferrari, but its plot was explained to me (by a man!), and as such, I feel qualified to make the comparison that a side-striped pant is the film’s fashion embodiment, and one you’ll be embracing in 2020.
A Ball State University professor who made headlines after calling the police on a Black male student who refused to switch seats has now been suspended.
According to FOX59, Wednesday, the university announced marketing professor Shaheen Borna – who has been a member of the Ball State faculty since 1983 – would not be present for the rest of the semester, explaining in a statement, “This decision is in the best interest of Dr. Borna and University.”
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“The decision was made to ensure continuity in the curriculum, eliminate any unnecessary distractions, and help our students complete the appropriate course expectations,” the correspondence concluded.
Sultan Benson, who is a senior at BSU, said that on January 21st he walked into his Marketing 301 class and noted another student was sitting in his assigned seat.
“I just decided after the professor asked me to sit in the back, take my seat in the back. It is what it is, no problem, no harm no foul,” Benson told the local FOX affiliate.
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A half-hour into the class when another student left, Borna asked Benson to move up. Benson admits he was already settled into the back of the class with his belongings unpacked and his laptop was charging, and inquired as to why him moving was necessary.
That’s when the professor told him, “Either move your seat or I call the police.”
True to his threat, two campus police officers showed up to the classroom at his request. A cell phone video shows several students attempting to come to Benson’s defense.
“He didn’t do anything,” he can hear them arguing in protest.
Borna later conceded that Benson would be allowed back in class Thursday and sent a letter apologizing to him and the entire class.
“Dear Mr. Benson, Today, during our Marketing 310 class, a situation arose that I mishandled. I sincerely apologize for this,” read the message. “As a professor at Ball State University, it is my responsibility to ensure that you and all of my students receive an excellent educational experience. I am sorry that my actions today did not contribute to that. I hope you accept my sincere apology.”
Despite the apology, Benson no longer feels comfortable returning to Borna’s class and has met with the dean to change classes.
The post Ball State University professor suspended after calling cops on Black student appeared first on TheGrio.
A former PNC Bank employee will be receiving $2.4 million in damages from a lawsuit filed against the bank after a customer grabbed her in a sexual manner, according to NJ.com.
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2015, was based on an incident that took place in October 2013 at PNC Bank’s Glen Ridge, New Jersey, branch. Damara Scott, a former wealth manager at the bank, claimed that customer Patrick Pignatello sexually harassed her as she was leaving the branch. There had been several previous complaints lodged against Pignatello for groping other employees; the bank temporarily banned him but kept him as a customer.
“The jury recognized that PNC had failed to provide a safe workplace for Ms. Scott,” Nancy Erika Smith, one of Scott’s attorneys, told NJ.com. “We hope PNC will now take the steps to eliminate harassment throughout the company.”
PNC Bank cited that it plans to appeal the verdict, saying there were “errors made by the court.”
“PNC does not condone harassment of any kind. We have a long-standing history of providing a safe workplace for our employees, and robust policies and procedures to help ensure that we continue to do so. We are disappointed by the verdict, even though the jury expressly found that this was not a case where punitive damages were appropriate,” bank officials said in a statement.
Scott had previously settled a lawsuit against the estate of Pignatello, who died less than two months after the incident of an apparent heart attack while out shoveling snow. She is bound by a non-disclosure agreement where she cannot disclose the terms of the settlement, which was reached last spring, her attorney said. Pignatello was also charged with sexual assault after the 2013 incident.
Scott, who is black, said she sued her employer of 18 years because she is still traumatized by the incident. “I want it to be clear to companies, to businesses, that women matter and women should matter above profit,” Scott told NJ Advance Media on the eve of the trial last month.
“One of the great things about our justice system is that citizens can sit in judgment on powerful corporations and hold them accountable,” said Smith. “Women are tired of employers who tolerate sexual harassment.”
