GOP may have made a mistake betting on Frank Ricci

[angee_is_mad]

I made a commitment to introduce DUers to the Afrospear to get another progressive perspective on politics. I found this tidbit on Smooth Like Remy.
I hope this hasn't been posted yet, but I have not heard about this and I hope the dems will use this next week when Ricci is in front of them.

http://smoothlikeremy.blogspot.com/2009/07/backing-wrong-race-horseagain.html

Ricci is invariably painted as a reluctant standard-bearer; a hardworking man driven to litigation only when his dreams of promotion were shattered by a system that persecutes white men. This is the narrative we will hear next week, but it somewhat oversimplifies Ricci's actual employment story. For instance, it's not precisely true, as this one account would have it, that Frank Ricci "never once special treatment for his dyslexia challenge." In point of fact, Ricci sued over it.

According to local newspapers, Ricci filed his first lawsuit against the city of New Haven in 1995, at the ripe old age of 20, for failing to hire him as a firefighter. That January, the Hartford Chronicle reported that Ricci sued, saying "he was not hired because he is dyslexic." The complaint in that suit, filed in federal court, alleged that the city's failure to hire Ricci because of his dyslexia violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Frank Ricci was one of 795 candidates interviewed for 40 jobs. According to his complaint, the reason he was not hired was that he disclosed his dyslexia in an interview. That case was settled in 1997 with a confidential settlement in which Ricci withdrew his lawsuit in exchange for a job with the fire department and $11,143 in attorney's fees.

In 1998, Ricci was talking about filing lawsuits again, this time over a dispute with his new employer, Middletown's South Fire District—which had hired him in August of 1997. According to a Hartford Courant report of Aug. 11, 1998, Ricci was dismissed from the Middletown fire department after only eight months. He promptly appealed his dismissal, claiming that fire officials had retaliated against him for conducting an investigation into the department's response to a controversial fire. A story in the Hartford Courant dated Aug. 9, 1997, has Ricci vowing "to pursue this to the fullest extent of the law."

In August of 1998, a state Department of Labor investigation cleared Chief Wayne S. Bartolotta of any wrongdoing in the firing. The Aug. 3, 1998, letter from the state Department of Labor indicated that the case was closed with a finding of no violation. "After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the South Fire District did not discriminate against Mr. Ricci." Ricci's response? According to the Courant, Ricci contended "Their decision was political, it has nothing to do with who was right and who was wrong." He told the paper he would "pursue the matter in civil court."

Ricci also tried to discredit his former boss, Chief Bartolotta, by disparaging his professional credentials. His fight over access to Bartolotta's professional training records was resolved between the two of them a week before the matter was slated to be taken up with the state Freedom of Information Commission, according to a Jan. 13, 1998, report in the Hartford Courant.

Eventually, Ricci made his way back to the New Haven Fire Department, where he famously aced his promotions test, then sued, yet again, in 2004.



Enjoy:fistbump:

[AngryAmish]

1. We need to destroy that turd and his family

[angee_is_mad]

2. Not destroy, but enlighten

the public. It seems like he is a chronic lawsuiter (made up word).

[annabanana]

15. naw... we just have to make sure people aren't buying the false narrative. . n/t

[Schema Thing]

3. Thanks

it's the most awesome train wreck ever.


You've definitely introduced me to a new word, "afrospear". I likes it!


Remy is anything but smooth though, imo.B-)

[angee_is_mad]

4. It's gonna be exciting

next week. I just hope the dems don't wimp out when he comes before them. I also hope that KO and Rachel will pick this up.

Seems like the only way Mr. Ricci can get a job is through a court ruling.

[CTyankee]

11. I hope so too but I don't know how this can get out except by KO and Rachel.

I hope the Dems in the Senate can get excellent witnesses to tear down Ricci's narrative. It's about time to put this guy and this specious "merit" argument to bed, once and for all...

[angee_is_mad]

13. I agree

I don't think Ed would be up to the task, but Keith would be like, "You are going DOWN motherfreeper!"

[Cha]

5. Thanks, angee, I like your committment!

The fascists use to pull that crap on the bush-Gore 5-4, too..like it was an unanimous decision.

"You may also know that the Supreme Court recently overturned the decision in a 5-4 ruling which some math challenged crust old racist conservatives like Pat Buchanan decided was actually a 9-0 ruling. As if to emphasize the point that they would be attacking Judge Sotomayor on the basis of some imaginary racial bias the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee decided to bring Frank Ricci in as a witness for the confirmation hearings starting on Monday."

So, poor thing not only has dyslexia(nothing wrong with that) but is addicted to lawsuiting(not good).

Like a poster said below the blog.."republicans never let anything like facts stand in their way".

This will be interesting to see what happens..undoubtedly, those wanting to confirm Judge Sotomayor know the history of this pathetic side show the repubs will present:silly:

[angee_is_mad]

6. I wonder if they (dems)will use it to enlighten

the rest of the country or at least the ones will bewatching the hearings?

[Arkana]

7. So it looks like Saint Frank is litigation-happy.

[angee_is_mad]

9. Wonder what twitty has to say

about this tomorrow? He was all for supporting the firefighter in New Haven.

[MadMaddie]

8. Hunh....

<snip>
That case was settled in 1997 with a confidential settlement in which Ricci withdrew his lawsuit in exchange for a job with the fire department and $11,143 in attorney's fees.
<snip>

So Ricci strong armed his way into a position when there may have been others more qualified than he was.

I hope that some Dems have this information and use it to display to the world that this Ricci is a frivolous lawsuit junky.


This should be an embarrassment to the Supreme Court.

[angee_is_mad]

10. Yeah it should

I hope Shuster bering this up tomorrow.

[mitchum]

12. Frank The Litigator

[angee_is_mad]

18. Frank The Litigator, I like it

He'll probably be hitting the rightwing circuit pretty soon.

[annabanana]

14. This needs to be sent to Keith, Rachel, and anyone else you can

think of...

[WeDidIt]

16. People get pissed off at overly litigious people

HE won't be a sympatheitc figure. In fact, once the number of lawsuits he's filed is disclosed widely, he'll be viewed as a villain by the overwhelming majority of the polity.

[bigwillq]

17. Look at these comments

Story followed by comments. :rofl:

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/12/news/a3-sotomayor.txt