Black Lives Matter-Ugliness of Racism.

[spaminator]

Toronto's top cop apologizes to Black community for 'systemic discrimination' in policing
Author of the article:Scott Laurie
Scott Laurie
Publishing date:Jun 15, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 2 minute read • 193 Comments

Toronto’s top cop apologizes to Black community for ‘systemic discrimination’ in policing


Interim Toronto Police Chief James Ramer apologized to the city’s Black community after data from 2020 showed members of that community are far more like to be subject to use of force by officers.

“There is systemic discrimination in our policing,” Chief Ramer said. “As an organization, we have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city receives fair and unbiased policing.”

A review of 949 interactions with police in 2020 showed that Black people are 2.2 times more likely to experience an enforcement interaction with officers.

They are also 1.6 times more likely to experience force, once involved in an enforcement interaction.

“As chief of police and on behalf of the service, I am sorry. And I apologize unreservedly,” Ramer said.


“There is a disproportionate impact experienced by racialized communities, and particularly those in the Black community,” he added.

Saying the police have been “gas lighting” the Black community for years, members of the No Pride in Policing Coalition said the community never asked for an apology.

“That apology was for the rank and file. That apology wasn’t for us,” said Beverly Bain of the coalition. “It is his rank and file that visits the violence on us every day in our neighbourhoods, on the streets, in our communities.”

Desmond Cole, also of the coalition, said he wonders what approach a new chief will take once Ramer, who is slated to retire later this year, is replaced.

“We are not here to acknowledge this apology. We did not ask for this apology,” said Cole, adding that he considers the best solution “defunding this police force and reallocating their resources so they can’t hurt us like this anymore.”


Ramer said a lot of work needs to be done to gain the trust of some citizens.

“We have often heard from communities that apologies alone are not sufficient — and we agree,” the he said.

In a statement, Mayor John Tory said the findings were “not acceptable and that is why we are committed to the reforms underway to make sure everyone in our city receives fair and unbiased policing.”

The Toronto Police Association said the “disappointing” data raises more questions than answers.

“More than 90% of all use-of-force incidents were the result of a reactive policing encounter, meaning our officers responded to a call for service, more than half being violent calls for service,” TPA said.

“The data does not reflect the totality of each engagement because there is no context given to the circumstance or individual officers were faced with.”

slaurie@postmedia.com
Twitter: @_ScottLaurie

Toronto's top cop apologizes to Black community for 'systemic discrimination' in policing

Toronto’s Black residents received an apology from the city’s interim police chief on Wednesday as the force released race-based data.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Judge accuses Norfolk OPP of racial profiling in man's arrest
The judge “strongly denounced as unacceptable and intolerable” the conduct of Norfolk OPP in a case involving a young Black man.

Author of the article:Susan Gamble • Postmedia News
Publishing date:Jun 16, 2022 • 1 day ago • 4 minute read

SIMCOE – A Southwestern Ontario judge “strongly denounced as unacceptable and intolerable” the conduct of Norfolk OPP in a case involving a young Black man.


In a 9,100-word decision, Ontario Court Justice Aubrey Hillard said the conduct of officers who arrested and tasered Cassell J. Chase, 21, in Delhi last July 11 “calls into question the integrity of the justice system itself.”

Wrote Hilliard: “The police misconduct involved in the excessive use of force, the breach of Mr. Chase’s right to counsel and racial profiling resulting in unequal treatment, each individually warrant condemnation by the court. When considered together, I find the police conduct must be strongly denounced as unacceptable and intolerable.”

Chase came before the judge charged with two counts of prowling at night, obstructing police, escaping custody, assaulting police causing bodily harm and failing to comply.


He was stopped after police got a report of a man spotted near the downtown, checking out homes. Police were told the man was wearing no shoes.

An officer stopped a shoeless Chase near the neighbourhood, but Chase declined to give his name. When he ran away, he was chased by four officers.

Const. Richard Fody, the acting sergeant on duty that night, yelled for Chase to stop, then deployed a Taser, felling the man. Fody used the Taser again when Chase began to move.

Fody testified that Chase wanted to get up. “So, I cycle the Taser one more time just to say, ‘You got to stay on the ground, you got to be compliant, you listen to our commands’.”

Chase was held overnight, without the chance to call a lawyer or speak to duty counsel, according to the decision.


“I find that PC Fody’s belief about the threat posed by Mr. Chase was a result of PC Fody’s perceptions of Black people,” Hilliard said, noting that his attitude likely affected the way other officers interacted with Chase.

The following day during fingerprinting, Chase twice punched an officer, fracturing his nasal bone, according to the decision.

A three-day trial was held with Chase’s lawyer asking for all charges to be stayed due to multiple charter rights violations. Hilliard dismissed the two prowling charges, saying there is no evidence Chase was the man lurking around the neighbourhood.

The judge also dismissed the charge of escaping custody, saying Chase hadn’t been arrested or detained when he ran from the officers, who contradicted each other during the trial.


Hilliard said a pedestrian has no legal obligation to answer questions from an officer during an “investigative detention.”

The judge also dismissed the obstructing police charge, noting police have the right and duty to ask questions but citizens aren’t obligated to answer unless they’re part of a “regulated activity” like driving.

Since there was no evidence presented in the trial that Chase was bound by a probation order, Hilliard dismissed his fail to comply charge.

The final charge was for assault, where Chase’s actions were clearly caught on camera.

But the judge then began to tally the ways Chase’s charter rights had been violated: detained and questioned despite making it clear he wasn’t talking; Tasered twice while not under arrest; having an unjustified amount of force used that was “racially motivated” by an officer who referred to him as a “coloured male;” not provided a lawyer call; and never advised of a reason for his detention.


Considering the multiple breaches of rights, there was no other option but to stay Chase’s last charge, said the judge. “The breaches were flagrant and involved racial bias. The remaining charge . . . may not have even occurred had Mr. Chase been given an opportunity to speak with a lawyer after his arrest.”

Hilliard said the officers involved were either unaware of Chase’s charter rights or chose not to inform him of those rights.

“Ignorance or malice – I find that this conduct supports my conclusion this incident was neither isolated nor trifling. Failure by the police to uphold the charter-enshrined values must result in that conduct being denounced by the court on behalf of the greater community.”

In 2019, Justice Hilliard condemned a “culture of complacency” within Norfolk OPP that resulted in charges being stayed against an Ohsweken man after it took 16 months to charge him after DNA confirmed his involvement in a crime. She added that anything short of staying those charges would look like the court was condoning the “dereliction of duty” shown by police and would send a message to the public that the judiciary doesn’t hold police to account.


Leah Shafran, a criminal defence lawyer from Toronto who represented Chase, said Hilliard’s ruling sends a clear message.

“This wasn’t one breach of rights in the heat of a busy night,” Shafran said in an interview. “It was breach after breach after breach.”

The lawyer said it is particularly concerning that officers didn’t seem to be clearly aware of Chase’s charter rights. “I hope a case like this will encourage further education and proper training.”

Shafran said she and Chase have filed a complaint against Fody with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, which handles complaints about police in Ontario.

OPP spokesperson Derek Rogers said the police force is aware of Hilliard’s decision and is conducting an internal investigation. “We are assessing the information and will take any appropriate action,” Rogers said.

A message left for Fody at the Norfolk OPP detachment was not returned.

SGamble@postmedia.com

Southwestern Ontario judge accuses area OPP of racial profiling in man's arrest

SIMCOE – A Southwestern Ontario judge “strongly denounced as unacceptable and intolerable” the conduct of Norfolk OPP in a case involving a young Black man.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

T-shirts? Ice cream? Retailers cash in on Juneteenth
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Anne D'innocenzio
Publishing date:Jun 17, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation

NEW YORK — Retailers and marketers have been quick to commemorate Juneteenth with an avalanche of merchandise from ice cream to T-shirts to party cups.


But many are getting backlash on social media for what critics say undermines the day, designated as a federal holiday last year to honor the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. A search for Juneteenth items among online sellers like Amazon and J.C. Penney produced everything from toothpicks with pan-African flags to party plates and balloons.

Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, apologized last month after getting slammed for a Juneteenth ice cream flavor — swirled red velvet and cheesecake — under its store label Great Value. Walmart said it’s reviewing its product assortment and will remove items “as appropriate.” As of Thursday, Walmart’s site was still offering lots of T-shirts and party plates.


Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum removed a Juneteenth watermelon salad from its menu and issued a mea culpa earlier this week. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the museum blamed a lapse in vendor oversight, noting the label and salad were not reviewed by museum staff.

“We are an imperfect institution, but we are committed to improvement and will work tirelessly to regain your trust,” the museum wrote on its Facebook page.

The backlash comes as companies promised after the police killing of George Floyd in May of 2020 to no longer stay silent and vowed to take an active role in confronting and educating customers and employees on systemic racism. According to the preliminary results of a survey by Mercer of 200 employers, 33% are offering Juneteenth as a paid holiday to their staff. That’s up from 9% last year in a survey of more than 400 companies conducted shortly before Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday.


At the same time, many have cashed in on a holiday that Black Americans have observed since June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, in alignment with President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Many experts believe that if retailers and other marketers plan to recognize the day, they should either sell merchandise from Black-owned businesses or invest in campaigns that would help Black communities. Amazon. for instance, does have a Black-owned business storefront that’s live all year-round for customers who want to support and shop Black-owned businesses selling on the site.

“This is a serious and reflective moment — I am excited and grateful for the recognition,” said Ramon Manning, chairman of the board at Emancipation Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization aimed to restore the park, which was purchased in 1872 by a group of former enslaved people to commemorate the anniversary of their emancipation.


“However, I feel like it is also brought back everybody else out of the woodwork who are opportunists more so than folks who are looking at the history of this country and looking at where a group of people have come from,” he added.

Manning, who is also founder and chairman of Ridgegate Capital, a private investment fund, further wondered: “Who is this going to benefit?”

Sheryl Daija, founder and CEO of Bridge, a group of marketing and diversity, equity and inclusion executives, noted there’s a disconnect between the seriousness of the holiday and the merchandise on display.

“A lot of companies have good intentions, but unfortunately good intentions can go awry, and this is what we have seen,” said Daija, who found Walmart’s Juneteenth ice cream particularly egregious because it used the holiday moniker to brand a new ice cream flavor.


Companies have a long history of commercializing holidays and other moments in order to cash in. Take Cinco de Mayo, which has become in the U.S a celebration of all things Mexican, with companies selling everything from beans to beer to sombrero hats. The holiday has spread from the American Southwest, even though most have no idea about its original ties to the U.S. Civil War, abolition and promotion of civil rights for Blacks. In fact, it’s often mistaken for Mexican Independence day.

Meanwhile, every October, retailers are awash in pink merchandise to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month, but critics say many make misleading claims about supporting cancer groups. And Memorial Day, a federal holiday day designated to mourn the U.S. military who have died while serving in the U.S. armed forces, has morphed into all-day mattress sales at stores.

But what makes the move by companies to cash in on Juneteenth worse is that it comes as the U.S. remains fraught with racial tensions, said Darnise Martin, clinical associate professor of African American studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

“It is weird to merchandise around it, but that’s what America does,” Martin said.

T-shirts? Ice cream? Retailers cash in on Juneteenth

NEW YORK — Retailers and marketers have been quick to commemorate Juneteenth with an avalanche of merchandise from ice cream to T-shirts to party cups.

torontosun.com

 

[taxslave]

And here I thought all these holidays were invented strictly as sales promos.

 

[petros]

All Holidays Matter

 

[spaminator]

Georgia city official resigns after Confederate shop reopens
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Publishing date:Jun 18, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation

KENNESAW, Ga. — A city councilman in Georgia has resigned to protest the reopening of a Confederate souvenir shop that sells images with racial slurs and dolls and statues that caricature Black people, news outlets reported.


Kennesaw Councilman James “Doc” Eaton said he wanted no part of the city’s decision to issue a business license to the downtown store. His resignation is effective on June 21.

“It breaks my heart to have to do it,” Eaton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Eaton’s daughter, Cris Eaton Welsh, owns a chiropractic business across the street from the souvenir shop and said she plans to relocate.

“There’s a difference between selling merchandise and propagating hate,” Eaton Welsh said.

Wildman’s Civil War Surplus reopened Tuesday after closing earlier this year following the death of its founder, Dent “Wildman” Myers, and the expiration of its business license, the AJC reported.

Marjorie Lyon, who worked with Myers for years, said reopening Wildman’s “wasn’t a decision.”


“It’s an honour,” she told the AJC. Lyon identified herself as the store’s manager.

“I don’t have any control over someone’s emotional response,” she said. “I’ve heard all kinds of colourful things. And everybody’s entitled to their opinion.”

The store also carries Confederate memorabilia, antique weapons and Civil War books, the Marietta Daily Journal reported.

City officials said the store had gone through the process required of all businesses to obtain a license.

“The city of Kennesaw does not pick nor choose nor try to find reasons not to issue a business license when an applicant meets all of the criteria,” City Manager Jeff Drobney told WAGA-TV.

Georgia city official resigns after Confederate shop reopens

KENNESAW, Ga. — A city councilman in Georgia has resigned to protest the reopening of a Confederate souvenir shop that sells images with racial slurs and dolls and …

torontosun.com

 

[Serryah]

"A city councilman in Georgia has resigned to protest the reopening of a Confederate souvenir shop that sells images with racial slurs and dolls and statues that caricature Black people, news outlets reported."

Wonder if it's offensive enough that it breaks discrimination laws and thus they can be sued for it.

"And everybody's entitled to their opinion." Excuse me, you fucking cunt; opinion? No, you opening such a place to sell such things is fucking RACIST and that is not an opinion, but fact.

You might as well just don those white robes I'm sure you have, or you daddy had, and throw the hood on.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

"A city councilman in Georgia has resigned to protest the reopening of a Confederate souvenir shop that sells images with racial slurs and dolls and statues that caricature Black people, news outlets reported."

Wonder if it's offensive enough that it breaks discrimination laws and thus they can be sued for it.

"And everybody's entitled to their opinion." Excuse me, you fucking cunt; opinion? No, you opening such a place to sell such things is fucking RACIST and that is not an opinion, but fact.

You might as well just don those white robes I'm sure you have, or you daddy had, and throw the hood on.

The law doesn't work that way here. You can say, and sell, any words you want.

 

[Serryah]

The law doesn't work that way here. You can say, and sell, any words you want.

Well I keep hearing that in America you can sue for anything.

*shrug*

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Well I keep hearing that in America you can sue for anything.

*shrug*

Sure. That's tort, between two individuals. The state can do very little to regulate speech.

 

[petros]

Well I keep hearing that in America you can sue for anything.

*shrug*

Where on Earth would you get silly disinformation like that?

 

[spaminator]

17-year sentence sticks for man who killed Black woman on porch
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ed White
Publishing date:Jun 23, 2022 • 21 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation

DETROIT — A white Detroit-area man who said he feared for his life when he fatally shot a young Black woman on his porch in 2013 was given the same 17-year prison sentence Wednesday at a new hearing ordered by the Michigan Supreme Court.


Ted Wafer was convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Renisha McBride in Dearborn Heights.

But about halfway through Wafer’s prison term, the Supreme Court in February unanimously threw out the manslaughter conviction, saying he couldn’t be punished twice for the same homicide.

Wayne County Judge Dana Hathaway said the prison sentence won’t change: 15 years for second-degree murder, plus two years for using a gun during a crime, which Wafer has already served. She noted that the murder sentence still was within the scoring guidelines.

Wafer, 63, gets credit for roughly eight years in custody, making him eligible for parole in 2031.

Wafer has been a “model prisoner” but the “facts remain the same,” the judge said.


“You cannot murder someone for simply knocking on your door in the middle of the night. You had choices,” Hathaway said.

The front cover of a funeral service program for 19-year-old Renisha McBride at House of Prayer and Praise Cathedral in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 8, 2013.
The front cover of a funeral service program for 19-year-old Renisha McBride at House of Prayer and Praise Cathedral in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 8, 2013. PHOTO BY BRIAN KAUFMAN /Detroit Free Pres via AP
Wafer opened his front door and shot McBride, 19, through a screen door before dawn. He said he was awakened by pounding and feared for his life, though he didn’t call police first. A jury rejected his self-defense claim.

Prosecutors speculated that McBride, who was drunk and had crashed her car hours earlier, might have been confused when she arrived on Wafer’s porch.

“I remain terribly sorry,” Wafer said Wednesday.

Some people wondered in the aftermath of the shooting whether race was a factor, likening it to the 2012 shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. But race was hardly mentioned during Wafer’s trial in 2014, and the judge at that time said she didn’t believe it played a role.

McBride’s mother said her daughter is deeply missed.

“Holidays are no longer holidays because we have no joy,” Monica McBride said in court. “Every day is a living nightmare that we can’t and won’t wake up from.”

17-year sentence sticks for man who killed Black woman on porch

DETROIT — A white Detroit-area man who said he feared for his life when he fatally shot a young Black woman on his porch in 2013 was given the same 17-year prison s…

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet sues officers, watchdog two years after her death
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Jun 30, 2022 • 12 hours ago • 2 minute read • 15 Comments

Relatives of a Toronto woman who fell from her balcony while police were in her highrise apartment more than two years ago are hoping a newly-filed lawsuit will shed more light on her death, their lawyer said.


The family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet is suing several police officers and the head of Ontario’s police watchdog. The lawsuit filed this week also names as defendants the province’s Attorney General, the City of Toronto and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

Korchinski-Paquet’s death in May 2020 came days after the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis, and further fuelled protests and calls to defund the police.

The province’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, later found there were no grounds to charge any of the officers involved.

The $10 million lawsuit alleges Korchinski-Paquet’s relatives suffered severe emotional distress after they were provided with “misleading information” at the time of her death.


The statement of claim also alleges that the Toronto police officers “deliberately misled” the investigation carried out by the SIU and the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, another watchdog organization.

“(The family is) hoping that through the civil process, more information can be gathered,” their lawyer, Jason E. Bogle, said Friday.

The civil process will allow them to request third-party records, including those related to her phone, which she was using when police arrived, he said.

“We can do that and therefore, more answers can be uncovered,” he said.

The civil process would also provide an opportunity to question the officers involved, Bogle said.

“And so the decision to go through the civil process … is just as empowering because of the fact that they’re going to be in control of getting the answers, or at least questioning these officers about what happened that day,” he said.

“You find a young Black (and Indigenous) woman goes over a balcony, you don’t want to see an apathy of it,” he said. “So I think the best outcome from the civil suit is that there is no apathy, that there is accountability. That’s what’s important.”

Bogle has also released a video that he alleges shows an interaction between Toronto police and Korchinski-Paquet moments before she fell.

The defendants, who have 20 days to file a response after being served with the suit, could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

Family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet sues officers, watchdog two years after her death

Relatives of a Toronto woman who fell from her balcony while police were in her apartment hope a lawsuit will shed more light on her death.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

CRTC tells Radio-Canada to apologize for offensive language on air
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Morgan Lowrie
Publishing date:Jun 30, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation

MONTREAL — The CRTC has ruled that Radio-Canada must apologize and review its practices after a host and commentator made repeated use of the N-word on air in 2020.


In a decision dated Wednesday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said the public broadcaster violated Canadian broadcasting policy objectives and values.

It also did not do enough to mitigate the effect the word could have on its audience, “particularly in the current social context and given its national public broadcaster status,” the decision read.

The decision stems from a 2020 episode of a radio show in which commentator Simon Jodoin and host Annie Desrochers discussed a petition to demand the dismissal of a Concordia University professor who had quoted a famous book with the N-word in the title.

During the discussion, Jodoin and Desrochers repeated the full title of Pierre Vallieres’ controversial 1968 take on Quebec history several times.


A listener filed a complaint with the CRTC after first being told by Radio-Canada’s ombudsman that the use of the word in that specific context did not contravene its journalistic standards and practices.

“In his complaint, the complainant condemned, among other things, the fact that the program’s commentator had mentioned the full title of the book and, consequently, the ‘N-word,’ on a number of occasions on air, without providing any warning or explanation of the baggage associated with that word,” the decision read.

“He added that a person historically affected by the term should have been invited to the discussion to talk about the impact of the use of the word.”

Radio-Canada’s ombudsman had agreed that the N-word is “an inaccurate and dehumanizing slur” but did not feel it should be banned in all contexts, such as in cases where the requirement for clarity justifies its use.


The CRTC recognized that the word was not used in a discriminatory manner in the context of the segment, but rather to quote the title of a book.

However, it found that Radio-Canada failed to show “sufficient respect and sensitivity” to communities impacted by the slur, which could have been achieved by using other words or presenting an advisory warning listeners of potential offensive content.

Two commissioners dissented from the majority opinion, including Caroline Simard, vice-chair for broadcasting. Simard said her colleagues failed to consider protections under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“In the absence of discriminatory comments by the host and commentator, the majority decision failed, in my view, to apply the existing law developed by the Supreme Court of Canada to the effect that there is no right to not be offended under the right to freedom of expression protected by the Canadian Charter and the (Broadcasting) Act,” she wrote.


Radio-Canada has been told to apologize to the complainant in writing and submit a plan to ensure that it better addresses similar issues in the future.

The CRTC also gave the broadcaster until July 29 to say how it intends to mitigate the impact of the word in the segment at issue, which is still available online.

In its report on the decision, Radio-Canada quoted Marc Pichette, the broadcaster’s director of public relations, saying the issue is complex and it will study the CRTC decision and the dissenting opinions.

“Radio-Canada recognizes that use of ‘the N-word’ is offensive. That is why we have set guidelines and limited its use on our airwaves,” Pichette said. The broadcaster will take the time required “to study in depth the CRTC decision” and decide on a response, he said.

CRTC tells Radio-Canada to apologize for offensive language on air

The CRTC has ordered Radio-Canada to apologize after a host and commentator made repeated use of the N-word on air.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Some Texas schools may call slavery 'involuntary relocation'
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Publishing date:Jun 30, 2022 • 12 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation

AUSTIN, Texas — Public schools in Texas would describe slavery to second graders as “involuntary relocation” under new social studies standards proposed to the state’s education board.


A group of nine educators submitted the idea to the State Board of Education as part of Texas’ efforts to develop new social studies curriculum, according to the Texas Tribune. The once-a-decade process updates what children learn in the state’s nearly 8,900 public schools.

The board is considering curriculum changes one year after Texas passed a law to eliminate topics from schools that make students “feel discomfort.”

Board member Aicha Davis, a Democrat who represents Dallas and Fort Worth, raised concerns during a June 15 meeting that the term wasn’t a fair representation of the slave trade. The board sent the draft back for revision, urging the educator group to “carefully examine the language used to describe events.”


“I can’t say what their intention was, but that’s not going to be acceptable,” Davis told The Texas Tribune on Thursday.

Part of the proposed draft standards obtained by The Texas Tribune say students should “compare journeys to America, including voluntary Irish immigration and involuntary relocation of African people during colonial times.”

Texas’ public education system has become heavily politicized in recent years, with lawmakers passing legislation to dictate how race and slavery should be taught in schools and conservative groups pouring large amounts of money into school board races.

Texas drew attention for a similar situation in 2015, when a student noticed wording in a textbook that referred to slaves who were brought to America as ” workers.” The book’s publisher apologized and promised to increase the number of textbook reviewers is uses.

Some Texas schools may call slavery 'involuntary relocation'

Public schools in Texas would describe slavery to second graders as "involuntary relocation" under new proposed social studies standards.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Tesla hit by new lawsuit alleging racial abuse against Black workers
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Hyunjoo Jin
Publishing date:Jun 30, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation

SAN FRANCISCO — Fifteen Black former or current employees at Tesla filed a lawsuit against the electric car maker on Thursday, alleging they were subjected to racial abuse and harassment at its factories.


The workers said they were subjected to offensive racist comments and behavior by colleagues, managers, and human resources employees on a regular basis, according to the lawsuit filed in a California state court.

The harassment, which occurred mostly at Tesla’s Fremont, California factory, included using the terms “n*****,” “slavery” or “plantation” or making sexual comments such as “likes booty,” the lawsuit said, adding that the automaker’s “standard operating procedures include blatant, open and unmitigated race discrimination.”


Some of the plaintiffs were assigned to the most physically demanding posts in Tesla or passed over for promotion, according to the lawsuit.

It said that Montieco Justice, a production associate at Tesla’s Fremont factory, was immediately demoted upon returning to Tesla after taking an authorized leave of absence as a result contracting COVID-19.


Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The automaker is facing at least 10 lawsuits alleging widespread race discrimination or sexual harassment, including one by a California civil rights agency.

It previously has denied wrongdoing and says it has policies in place to prevent and address workplace misconduct.

On Monday, a federal judge in California ordered a new trial on the damages Tesla owes to a Black former factory worker who accused the company of race discrimination, after he turned down a $15 million award.

This month, a Tesla shareholder filed a lawsuit accusing CEO Elon Musk and the company’s board of directors of neglecting worker complaints and fostering a toxic workplace culture.

Tesla hit by new lawsuit alleging racial abuse against Black workers

Allegations of harassment, which occurred mostly at Tesla's Fremont, California factory, included using the terms "n*****" and "plantation."

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Regis Korchinski-Paquet's family launches $10M civil suit against police
Author of the article:Liz Braun
Publishing date:Jul 01, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 3 minute read • 7 Comments

The family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet wants their questions answered.


Korchinski-Paquet fell from her balcony to her death after police were called to her High Park residence on May 27, 2020.

The dead woman, her mother and her brother had all called 911 because of a family dispute.

There was confusion — and conflicting stories — around the Toronto woman’s death right from the beginning and for several reasons, not least of which was that it happened only days after the killing of George Floyd, and in the midst of outraged demonstrations against the police.

The Special Investigations Unit was called in, but the police watchdog ultimately found there were no grounds to charge any of the officers involved.

Now a civil lawsuit has been launched by the family against the head of the SIU and the attending police officers, as well as the province’s attorney general, the City of Toronto and the Toronto Community Housing.


The $10 million lawsuit alleges Korchinski-Paquet’s relatives were given misleading information at the time of her death and as a result suffered severe emotional distress.

It is also alleged police officers deliberately misled both the SIU investigation and another investigation undertaken by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.

Family lawyer Jason E. Bogle showed images from a security camera in the hallway outside Korchinski-Paquet’s apartment earlier this week at a news conference.

Snippets of footage show an officer identified as Glenn Weddell arriving at the scene with a rifle; he holsters the gun cross-body and across his back as he walks to the apartment door from the elevator.


Upon reaching the unit door he appears to grab Korchinski-Paquet and put her down on the ground, allegedly “assaultive behaviour.”

Not long after that, Korchinski-Paquet goes back into the apartment.

Footage was shown of the officers leaving the apartment and walking back to the elevator; officer Weddell’s rifle is no longer in the same position as before.

Police notes about the event confirm that Weddell took the firearm off while he was inside the apartment.



Weddell and another officer arrived at the apartment after three other officers had already secured the scene and reported no safety issues.


Bogle believes information has been excluded from the report by SIU Director Joseph Martino.

“Martino left out details. He knew it was inflammatory. Why is there a shotgun at a wellness call?” Bogle asked in a brief interview on Friday.

Korchinski-Paquet was known to be afraid of heights, Bogle said, “and she had no suicidal ideation.”

One of the mysteries about Korchinski-Paquet’s death is why she went onto the balcony; if the officer took out his rife, Bogle said, perhaps “her response was fear-based.”

That makes more sense than the reason given, he believes, which is that Korchinski-Paquet was in some sort of post-epileptic shock.

Bogle said Friday that a civilian witness has contacted him with cellphone evidence of interest.


As police notes confirm, Korchinski-Paquet was on her cellphone while officers were present. However, her cellphone has never been found.

“What puts an Afro-Indigenous woman with no suicidal ideation and a fear of heights out on the balcony — she suddenly decided to go outside and start climbing?” asked Bogle.

“It doesn’t stand to reason. Was she manic? Was she scared? How far away was she from an officer? What did she say?”

In the statement of claim, Bogle alleges the presence of the weapon (and a lack of police de-escalation actions) contributed to Korchinski-Paquet’s death.

The family had to hire private investigators to review the case and try to find answers to their many questions.

“Something’s wrong here,” said Bogle. “Nobody will be held accountable.”

“Nobody will say, ‘We did something wrong here.'”

Police responded to the civil suit saying that if a claim has been filed, it would be inappropriate for the service to comment and any questions regarding the investigation should be directed to SIU.

The SIU could not be reached for comment on Canada Day.

lbraun@postmedia.com

Regis Korchinski-Paquet's family launches $10M civil suit against police

The family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet wants their questions answered.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Snippets of footage show an officer identified as Glenn Weddell arriving at the scene with a rifle; he holsters the gun cross-body and across his back as he walks to the apartment door from the elevator.

"Slings."

 

[taxslave]

"snippets of footage"
Meaning just showing the parts they want you to see without relevance.

 

[spaminator]

Ohio cops shot fleeing Black man dozens of times, lawyer says
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jason Lange and Jonathan Landay
Publishing date:Jul 02, 2022 • 10 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Attorney Bobby DiCello holds up a photograph of Jayland Walker, the man who was shot dead by Akron Police on June 25, as he speaks on behalf of the Walker family during a press conference at St. Ashworth Temple in Akron, Ohio, Thursday, June 30, 2022.
Attorney Bobby DiCello holds up a photograph of Jayland Walker, the man who was shot dead by Akron Police on June 25, as he speaks on behalf of the Walker family during a press conference at St. Ashworth Temple in Akron, Ohio, Thursday, June 30, 2022. PHOTO BY JEFF LANGE / USA TODAY NETWORK /REUTERS
Police killed Jayland Walker, a Black man in Ohio, by shooting him dozens of times as he ran from officers following a traffic stop, a lawyer for his family said, citing a review of police body-worn camera footage due to be made public on Sunday.


In comments published on Saturday by the Akron Beacon Journal, attorney Bobby DiCello described the video as “brutal,” and said Walker’s relatives worried that protests this weekend could turn violent.

The shooting was the latest in a spate of killings of Black men by law enforcement in the United States that critics say are unjustified, including the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis that ignited global protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

“We’re all bracing for the community’s response, and the one message that we have is the family does not need any more violence,” DiCello said.

Akron police have said Walker, 25, fired a gun at officers who were pursuing him. They plan to release their body camera footage following a news conference on Sunday, hours before a protest march is scheduled.


“Protest is a way of crying,” Rodderick Pounds Sr., pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Akron, said during a prayer rally there on Saturday after he was permitted to see the video prior to its being made public.

Pounds declined to describe in detail “the graphic video the world is about to see,” but he called the footage “shocking,” saying it showed Walker posed no threat when he was shot down in a manner the pastor likened to a “massacre.”

“It’s barbaric,” Pounds said in an interview with local television station WEWS-TV. “You’ll see tomorrow.”

Officials have said the deadly confrontation began when officers tried to stop Walker for a traffic violation while he was driving early Monday morning. Walker fled, according to the Akron Police Department, which said officers reported a gun being fired from Walker’s vehicle.


After several minutes Walker exited his vehicle and ran, while officers chased him on foot and fired at him, saying he presented a “deadly threat,” the police department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Walker was pronounced dead in the parking lot where he fell. Police representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

DiCello said his team has not seen any evidence Walker fired a weapon and that police body-camera footage showed him running with his back to officers when they gunned him down.

“He is just in a down sprint when he is dropped by I think the count is more than 90 shots,” DiCello told the Beacon Journal. “Now how many of those land, according to our investigation right now, we’re getting details that suggest 60 to 80 wounds.”


It was not clear how many bullets struck Walker because bullets can cause wounds both entering and exiting the body, DiCello said.

Television station WJW-TV said a preliminary report from the medical examiner’s office found Walker sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his head, torso and legs, and that a weapon was recovered from a car by Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, though it did not specify which car.

Pounds told WEWS that Walker “did not have a weapon when he was shot. It was in his car.”

Compounding the tragedy, according to the Beacon Journal, Walker’s fiance had died in a car accident last month, though WJW cited attorneys for his family as saying Walker had no intention of harming himself or others when he was killed.

The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave during an investigation, the department’s statement said.

Ohio cops shot fleeing Black man dozens of times, lawyer says

Police killed Jayland Walker, a Black man in Ohio, by shooting him dozens of times as he ran from officers, a lawyer for his family said.

torontosun.com