Southwest Airlines employee subject to repeated N-word usage

[ZenMode]

In what scenario could you see it being appropriate? Please, give an example.

I'm not a professor that teaches history or race related studies, but it seems like, given that the word almost stands one on its own in the English language, that there are many different legitimate discussions that could occur where referencing the word would clearly fit into the conversation?

 

[gtyellowjacket]

You don’t get to use the n-word if you’re a white person - it’s that simple. If you’re bothered by that, ask yourself why.

I'm not bothered by it. I am bothered other races use it. It seems racist and also seems racist that one particular race uses it and its not racist. It seems this plaintiff feels like anyone using it is racist. We will see if a jury agrees with him.

 

[SmilingJack]

So why'd you start this thead again....I forgot.

 

[Zoo_View]

A white professor couldn't use it talking about decades of slavery, white supremacy and racism?

No.

Use “N-word.”

 

[gtyellowjacket]

So why'd you start this thead again....I forgot.

It's a man bites dog story. I wanted to discuss whether this guy has a case when his black coworkers were using a racial slur which is a racist slur, but when one race uses that slur, its not a racist slur. To me that seems ridiculous and if I were on the jury, I'd pay the man but I see others disagree. I think its a topic worth discussing to get other's opinions.

 

[CarolinaFever]

1. This is not a twist. It is common.
2. There is no "unenviable position" because the explanation you offer is irrelevant.
3. The law requires the plaintiff to demonstrate the existence of a "hostile work environment" -- that is, one "that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive" -- that is based on gender and race. Thus, the success or failure of the lawsuit depends entirely on the experience of the person at whom the epithets were aimed, and whether that person was reasonable in considering it intimidating, hostile or abusive. Again, that doesn't depend at all on the motivations of the name-caller nor even their propriety.

If the plaintiff tells a supervisor or HR or someone similar that "these people keep calling me the n-word and I really hate it, and it needs to stop," and the company did nothing to protect that worker, then the company can be liable. End of story.
4. Stop trying to talk about anything related to law. You don't understand how it works. At. All.

Yes, it could still be a case of a hostile work environment, but a black guy calling another black guy the N word isn't racism.

 

[gtyellowjacket]

Yes, it could still be a case of a hostile work environment, but a black guy calling another black guy the N word isn't racism.

What makes it hostile if its not racist?

 

[CarolinaFever]

I'm not bothered by it. I am bothered other races use it. It seems racist and also seems racist that one particular race uses it and its not racist. It seems this plaintiff feels like anyone using it is racist. We will see if a jury agrees with him.

The jury can still rule it's a hostile work environment, but that doesn't make it racist. A black person calling another black person the N word is not racist. And if you don't see why then you don't understand what racism is. And you have a history of being weird about this, too.

 

[CarolinaFever]

What makes it hostile if its not racist?

Jesus Christ, you're dense.

 

[CarolinaFever]

I'm not bothered by it. I am bothered other races use it. It seems racist and also seems racist that one particular race uses it and its not racist. It seems this plaintiff feels like anyone using it is racist. We will see if a jury agrees with him.

Thr jury isn't going to decide if it's racist. They woukd decide if they allowed a hostile work environment to continue and then fired the guy because he complained. Racism has nothing to do with it.

 

[HeelingAg]

Jesus Christ, you're dense.

“Obstinate”. I think you’re looking for “obstinate”.

 

[ZenMode]

I'm not bothered by it. I am bothered other races use it. It seems racist and also seems racist that one particular race uses it and its not racist. It seems this plaintiff feels like anyone using it is racist. We will see if a jury agrees with him.

I've had 3 n-word sections of my life.

In my early-> mid teens, all of my close friends, except one, was black. We were ALL about Nintendo, gangster rap and basketball. We played gangster rap while gaming. We took our giant boombox to the park and played it while we hooped. We all called each other the n-word. It was as natural as bro, dude, etc. No anger. No animosity.

In my early 20's, (also early 2000's) it's going sound like a joke, but it was me (white), a Mexican guy and a black literally sitting in a bar talking about the use of n-word, specifically why black people still used it. My claim, in a fairly intoxicated state, was the black people using it was to take power away from racist white people.

My final chapter was around 2015 (40 years old) when I became good friends with a black co-worker who thought it was funny to take his white friend to a bar on a night when it was 99% black people, to make me as uncomfortable as possible. Little did he know that I didn't care at all. What's interesting is that he was the only one of his black friends who didn't use the n-word. He substituted "ninja". I'm not joking. He referred to me as "my ninja" whenever we greeted each other. We had a conversation about what he didn't believe in using that word....if I was sober I could tell you what it was. But, during the discussion, we both used the word with no animosity and no anger.

It just seems odd that honest/informational discussions have become so taboo. It almost seems to re-empower the racists

 

[CarolinaFever]

I've had 3 n-word sections of my life.

In my early-> mid teens, all of my close friends, except one, was black. We were ALL about Nintendo, gangster rap and basketball. We played gangster rap while gaming. We took our giant boombox to the park and played it while we hopped. We all called each other the n-word. It was as natural as bro, dude, etc. No anger. No animosity.

In my early 20's, (also early 2000's) it's going sound like a joke, but it was me (white), a Mexican guy and a black literally sitting in a bar talking about the use of n-word, specifically why black people still used it. My claim, in a fairly intoxicated state, was the black people using it was to take power away from racist white people.

My final chapter was around 2015 (40 years old) when I became good friends with a black co-worker who thought it was funny to take his white friend to a bar on a night when it was 99% black people, to make me as uncomfortable as possible. Little did he know that I didn't care at all. What's interesting is that he was the only one of his black friends who didn't use the n-word. He substituted "ninja". I'm not joking. He referred to me as "my ninja" whenever we greeted each other. We had a conversation about what he didn't believe in using that word....if I was sober I could tell you what it was. But, during the discussion, we both used the word with no animosity and no anger.

It just seems odd that honest/informational discussions have become so taboo. It almost seems to re-empower the racists

 

[Geisterfahrer]

I've had 3 n-word sections of my life.

In my early-> mid teens, all of my close friends, except one, was black. We were ALL about Nintendo, gangster rap and basketball. We played gangster rap while gaming. We took our giant boombox to the park and played it while we hopped. We all called each other the n-word. It was as natural as bro, dude, etc. No anger. No animosity.

In my early 20's, (also early 2000's) it's going sound like a joke, but it was me (white), a Mexican guy and a black literally sitting in a bar talking about the use of n-word, specifically why black people still used it. My claim, in a fairly intoxicated state, was the black people using it was to take power away from racist white people.

My final chapter was around 2015 (40 years old) when I became good friends with a black co-worker who thought it was funny to take his white friend to a bar on a night when it was 99% black people, to make me as uncomfortable as possible. Little did he know that I didn't care at all. What's interesting is that he was the only one of his black friends who didn't use the n-word. He substituted "ninja". I'm not joking. He referred to me as "my ninja" whenever we greeted each other. We had a conversation about what he didn't believe in using that word....if I was sober I could tell you what it was. But, during the discussion, we both used the word with no animosity and no anger.

It just seems odd that honest/informational discussions have become so taboo. It almost seems to re-empower the racists

Thanks for sharing. No one GAF.

 

[gtyellowjacket]

The jury can still rule it's a hostile work environment, but that doesn't make it racist. A black person calling another black person the N word is not racist. And if you don't see why then you don't understand what racism is. And you have a history of being weird about this, too.

I truly don't. What could make it a hostile work environment if it's not racist?

 

[stankeylegjones]

I'm not a professor that teaches history or race related studies, but it seems like, given that the word almost stands one on its own in the English language, that there are many different legitimate discussions that could occur where referencing the word would clearly fit into the conversation?

Having a discussion about the word in which a white professor says that word around BIPOC folks?

 

[stankeylegjones]

I truly don't. What could make it a hostile work environment if it's not racist?

Perhaps when someone asks someone else not to call them by a specific term and that person still does, it might be considered hostile. No?

 

[gtyellowjacket]

Perhaps when someone asks someone else not to call them by a specific term and that person still does, it might be considered hostile. No?

I think it would have to be reasonable. If you ask someone not to call you buddy or dude or whatever, I don't think that rises to the level of a hostile work environment.

 

[ZenMode]

Having a discussion about the word in which a white professor says that word around BIPOC folks?

Whoever is there, so possibly.

 

[stankeylegjones]

I think it would have to be reasonable. If you ask someone not to call you buddy or dude or whatever, I don't think that rises to the level of a hostile work environment.

Would bitch rise to the level?