Attorney Meachum Interviews on NewsOne Now with Roland Martin
A federal class action lawsuit accuses CNN, Turner Broadcasting and parent company Time Warner of racial discrimination against Black employees, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The lawsuit names two plaintiffs: former CNN executive administrative assistant Celeslie Henley and TBS senior manager Ernest Colbert.
Their Attorney Daniel Meachum told The AJC that the company has been discriminating against African-Americans for more than two decades. He said up to 30 current and former employees shared information with him about their experiences.
The lawsuit alleges that there’s a “pattern and practice” of widespread racial discrimination at the company. Among the list of claims, the suit states that the company discriminates in evaluations, compensation and promotions.
Henley said she worked longer hours than her White co-workers, treated worse upon returning from maternity leave, and fired as retaliation for filing a complaint with human resources.
During his nearly 20 years at TBS, Colbert said the company paid him less than his White counterparts. Colbert also claims he was under compensated for the senior level work that his managers gave him.
The suit states that AfricanAmericans hold up to 35 percent of CNN’s mid-level manager positions but are underrepresented at senior-level positions.
The class action suit is open to Black employees in salaried and mid-level managerial positions at the company in the United States from April 1997 to the present.
SOURCE: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Full NewsOne Article Link: http://newsone.com/3610767/cnn-turner-of-racial-discrimination-in-class-action-lawsuit/
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