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State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a legally binding plan that will force Facebook to "make significant changes to its advertising platform by removing the ability of third-party advertisers to exclude ethnic and religious minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, and other protected groups from seeing their ads. The AG's office of Washington state joined a chorus of unhappy—and litigious—Facebook users in late 2016 after a ProPublica investigation revealed how easy it was for Facebook advertisers to discriminate against users who were defined by "ethnic affinities." These were labeled with clear demographics like African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic, and ProPublica's report pointed out that this was a clear violation of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. The Tuesday announcement confirmed that this report inspired AG Ferguson's office to launch an investigation in November 2016, which began with the purchase of 20 fake ads on Facebook. These ads ran the gamut of content types, including "nightclubs, restaurants, lending, insurance, employment, and apartment rentals" so that Ferguson could determine whether or not specific audiences would be blocked from seeing the ads and were therefore "unaware of the opportunities in the advertisements." https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/07/facebook-bows-to-wa-state-pressure-to-remove-discriminatory-ad-filters/

3. Jehovah's Witness in Cuba, for decades, were stigmatized, persecuted, criticized and taboo, even Catholic. But in recent years there has been some other flexibilization. However, Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, continue to suffer discrimination. Pedro and María Isabel are a couple from Las Tunas. Both are Jehovah's Witnesses. On one occasion, Pedro applied for a vacant post in a company. Among the inquiries that are normally made in the CDR that detail was known, that even though it did not officially prevent him from opting for the position, he knew from comments from a friend that it was what tipped the scale unfavorably. But María Isabel has also suffered discrimination because she is a Jehovah's Witness. The first was when, after being affected by a cyclone, she was denied the temporary facilities she required when she lost the roof of her house. Officially she was told that it was because of being a Jehovah's Witness. The second one "happened to me in a hospital. I said I was a Jehovah's Witness when I required blood and I requested to them to use a blood substitute. The doctors disrespected me and did what they pleased. I felt bad, more than religious they treated me like an insane person, "she says. https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2018-07-09-u1-e42839-s27061-siete-historias-reales-discriminacion-cuba

New York District Office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2018 EEOC SUES STAFFING SOLUTIONS FOR MULTIPLE DISCRIMINATORY HIRING PRACTICES Owner Frequently Used Racial Slurs and Forced Out Manager Who Opposed Hiring Discrimination, Federal Agency Charges BUFFALO, N.Y. –Staffing Solutions of WNY Inc., a Buffalo-based staffing company that places employees with clients throughout Western New York, violated federal laws prohibiting hiring discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today. According to the complaint, EEOC contends that Staffing Solutions either refused to hire highly qualified black applicants or placed them in the lowest paying, least desirable jobs. Further, EEOC alleges that Staffing Solutions’ owner, Kathleen Faulhaber, regularly referred to black applicants as “n----rs,” instructed her staff to comply with clients’ race and sex preferences, placed employees in positions based on race and sex, and rejected pregnant applicants. Additionally, the complaint alleges that applicants over the age of 50, applicants with disabilities, and those whom the company deemed disabled were routinely rejected by Staffing Solutions. EEOC contends that applicants were improperly asked for their dates of birth and about injuries and medical conditions, and that Staffing Solutions rejected applicants considered too old and those who revealed health issues, such as cancer, blindness, or back injuries. Finally, EEOC charges that an office manager for Staffing Solutions complained about the illegal hiring practices and voiced objections to Faulhaber’s repeated use of racial slurs, but was warned that she would be fired if she failed to comply. The office manager felt she had no choice but to resign. Staffing Solutions’ alleged hiring practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act which prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, disability, race, or sex, as well as retaliation. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York (EEOC v. Staffing Solutions of WNY, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:18-cv-00562) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks back pay; compensatory, liquidated, and punitive damages; and injunctive relief. The agency’s litigation effort will be led by Trial Attorneys Daniel Seltzer, Elizabeth Fox-Solomon, and Supervisory Trial Attorney Nora Curtin. "Staffing Solutions’ conduct hearkens back to a time over half a century ago, before the passage of federal laws that make this type of discriminatory hiring illegal,” said Jeffrey Burstein, regional attorney for EEOC’s New York District Office. “The EEOC is sending a clear message with this lawsuit: those days are over.” Kevin Berry, the EEOC’s New York district director, added “Staffing companies are playing an increasingly large role in our economy. The EEOC will fight to ensure that they do not become an instrument of discrimination. The law is clear that honoring discriminatory client requests is illegal.” “I’m proud to have been born and raised in Buffalo,” said Curtin. “Buffalonians, and all Americans, deserve to be hired based on their qualifications, without regard to age, disability, race or sex." Eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring, and preserving access to the legal system by eliminating retaliation are national priorities identified by the EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). The EEOC's New York District Office is responsible for processing discrimination charges, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, northern New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Buffalo Local Office conducted the investigation resulting in this lawsuit. The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates. Anyone who may have been discriminated against by Staffing Solutions should contact the EEOC at staffingsolutionslawsuit@eeoc.gov.

"Humility"When a person is "known rich" or "looks rich" and buys a decent mode of transportation - many views that person as humble but when a person is "viewed poor" or "looks poor" and drives the same decent mode of transportation - many views that person as arrogant.This is not about wealth, but the perspective. Might there be a difference between the definition of humility vs personal view of what "suits" an individual?In some countries, may locals view the minorities as "minorities"(incl. migrants from "poor" countries) and when these "minorities act" not as what they want to view them - many say that they "lack humility". Many fell on the same trap back in the first century, many expected the messiah to be someone prominent, handsome like David and maybe very tall also like Saul but the scripture indicated otherwise. - for "No stately form does he have, nor any splendor; And when we see him, his appearance does not draw us to him. " (Isa 53:2) ft:" Or “there is no special appearance that we should desire him.” "and yet, he is a known carpenter and declaring that he is God's Son - " do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? " (John 10:36) Now, we view Jesus to be humble because we know his position before he took a human form (Phil 2:7). But just imagine living in the time of Jesus - those Pharisees and Sadducees views him otherwise. (John 10:36) Something to think about... (Lu 6:38; Phil 2:3)

A federal judge has set a January trial date for a fired Key West bus driver suing the city for what he calls religious discrimination. Bobby Walker Jr. says the city fired him over a scheduling dispute that arose when he refused to work during the 2014 Fantasy Fest, citing his Jehovah's Witness beliefs against openly sexual displays that are routine at the annual 10-day October festival. Walker later asked for Dec. 31 off but was refused. After he failed to show up for work, the city fired him. The case is due for trial Jan. 23 in Key West before U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez. A mediation deadline is set for Dec. 14. The city's attorney, Michael Burke, says Walker has no case because he "did not have a sincere, bonafide religious belief that conflicted with his driving a bus on Oct. 25, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014." Key West has policies and procedures in place to prevent and correct promptly any racial or religious harassment or retaliatory behavior, Burke wrote in court filings. Walker filed the suit March 3 in Key West, three months after the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dismissed his claim. He is represented by attorneys Jason Melton of Spring Hill and Jay Paul Lechner of St. Petersburg. In his complaint, Walker, who is black, says city Transit Department heads mocked his religious beliefs and made derogatory comments about his race before firing him from the $13-an-hour job as retaliation for complaining. Walker worked as a temporary bus driver from May 27, 2014, until Jan. 2, 2015, earning an annual salary of $27,827, city staff said. Although the lawsuit doesn't go into detail about Jehovah's Witnesses, the church believes the Bible forbids premarital sex and sex should only be between one man and one woman after marriage. The church also warns its members to stay away from people who engage in the sex practices it disdains in order to remain morally clean. Source: http://www.keysnet.com/2016/06/01/508589/judge-sets-trial-in-discrimination.html

BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff alinhardt@keysnews.com A former City of Key West Department of Transportation bus driver has filed a federal lawsuit against the city claiming his civil rights were violated due to his race and as a practicing Jehovah’s Witness. Bobby Walker Jr. claims that he requested, via a letter dated Oct. 23, 2014 to the city manager’s office, that he not participate in the annual Fantasy Fest parade and that his “participation in the Fantasy Fest parade was contrary to his beliefs as a Jehovah’s Witness,” the lawsuit states. He further claims that the next day, during a meeting with superiors, that city management officials “openly mocked (Walker’s) religious beliefs and threatened to write up Walker for purportedly not giving enough time to change the schedule,” the lawsuit states. According to the employee handbook, drivers are required to give at least two hours notice of any schedule change request. Walker claims that his two-day notice was more than ample. “A manager treated Mr. Walker differently than persons who were not of Jehovah’s Witness faith by threatening to write Mr. Walker up for not giving him a 48-hour notice of his request for time off, although persons of other religions are only held to a two-hour minimum notice,” Walker’s attorney, Jay Paul Lechner of St. Petersburg, wrote to The Citizen seeking comment. “The same manager made comments to the effect ‘I’ve had enough of this religion stuff,’ and ‘You’re the only one’ causing problems due to religion. Managers also spread rumors to other employees about Mr. Walker, such as that Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘think they are better than others.’” With respect to Walker’s race — he is black — Lechner wrote: “A mechanic manager angrily called Mr. Walker a ‘damn boy’ and purposely locked him out of the break room used by white employees. A manager made a comment to another manager to the effect of ‘get rid of that black son-of-a-(deleted),’ referring to Mr. Walker.” Immediately after Walker’s meeting with superiors, his “hours were decreased and he was subjected to threats of losing his job, vindictive acts and derogatory comments about his race from other members of the management team,” according to the lawsuit. Walker claims he complained to higher-ups, but no action was taken, according to the lawsuit. On or about Dec. 31, 2014, Walker again requested a shift change so that he would not have to work the late shift on New Year’s Eve, based on his religious beliefs, the lawsuit states. He was fired shortly thereafter, according to the lawsuit. Walker is accusing the city of violating his civil rights under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as under the Florida Civil Rights Act. Michael Burke, the attorney who regularly represents the City of Key West in such cases, did not return a message seeking comment on Friday. Walker filed the lawsuit earlier this month before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez seeking back pay and benefits as well as his attorney’s fees and punitive damages. No tentative trial date has been set. http://keysnews.com/node/73622