The highest-ranking female executive at Major League Baseball’s New York City Headquarters has filed a lawsuit against the league for race discrimination, according to a recent report.
Sylvia Lind is MLB’s director of baseball initiatives in its Manhattan office. Lind, who is a Cuban-American, first began working for MLB in 1995, at a salary of $43,000. She claims that Major League Baseball has a history, pattern, and practice of passing over qualified Hispanic candidates, and that she faced a hostile working environment due to her race throughout the time she worked for MLB. Lind’s lawsuit also claims that she works in an industry dominated by white men, and that she has been passed over for promotion on many occasions.
MLB released a statement that Lind’s claims are “absolutely without merit” and that it maintains an equal opportunity working environment. Lind on the other hand, claims that although a high percentage of MLB players are of Hispanic descent, of 52 executives in MLB, only two are Hispanic and only 12 are women. Indeed, Lind claims that she is the only Hispanic lawyer working for MLB and has been since the time she started. Furthermore, Lind claims that she was forced to work in a discriminatory environment even as her job required her to plan, advance, and promote the league’s civil rights plan.
Race Discrimination Is Rampant in Today’s Workplace
According to the EEOC, 93,727 race discrimination charges were filed in 2013. Put another way, a shocking 35.3% of discrimination charges were based on race. This number is all too high, and something must be done to combat the high number of incidents of race discrimination occurring in the United States. Indeed, in the last five years the numbers of race discrimination charges filed have shot up, which indicates that employer conduct is clearly out of control.
Discrimination is Illegal Workplace Misconduct that Should Never Occur
Race discrimination occurs when a current or prospective employee is treated differently from others due to his or her race. Although many people think of race discrimination as the termination from (or failure to receive) an employment opportunity, as in the case discussed above it can also mean a failure to receive a promotion due to one’s race. In any event, race discrimination of all forms is illegal under federal, state, and city laws, and should not be allowed to continue.
Employers who engage in discriminatory conduct can be liable for damages, whether or not it is proven that the actions taken were intended to serve discriminatory purposes. Additionally, employers have a duty to maintain a safe and non-discriminatory workplace, and can face additional damages if they permit discriminatory or harassing behavior to permeate their places of employment to the point that the behavior creates a hostile work environment.
Seek Justice For Race Discrimination at Work
If you or someone you love has been subjected to race discrimination, do not hesitate to contact the employment lawyers at Joseph & Norinsberg or a free consultation. You may have a claim for significant damages as a result of discriminatory conduct. Contact us today at 212-JUSTICE or info@employeejustice.com for an evaluation of your case.
