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NYU Settles Racism Lawsuit: "Do You Want A Banana?"
By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 17, 2011
Modified Aug 17, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 17, 2011
Modified Aug 17, 2011
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: it's the home of cyborg teachers, scantily-clad snow shovelers, and Professor James Franco. Oh, and racists—the university settled with an ex-library worker for over $200,000 after his former mailroom supervisor allegedly called him various racial terms and taunts, including a "monkey" and a "gorilla."
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Osei Agyemang, who delivered mail and supplies at NYU's Bobst Library, says he suffered repeated verbal abuse between 2007 and 2009. Among other things, the boss mocked his accent as "gibberish," while telling him "go back to your cage" and "go back to the jungle." Agyemang, an immigrant from Ghana, was also asked, "Do you want a banana?"
"This suit shows that ugly harassment and retaliation can happen anywhere, even at a prestigious university," said EEOC attorney Gilliam Thomas, who represented Agyemang. NYU spokesman John Beckman said that the boss in question was no longer with the university: "Such behavior is extremely rare here, and totally at odds with the spirit of diversity and tolerance for which NYU is rightly known." If victims of racism can get 200K from NYU, then what are victims of landgrabbing landlords entitled to?
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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