Atlanta - A Hotbed of Discrimination

We have our third case in as many months now that raises the specter of what has been labeled reverse discrimination, but which is in reality discrimination. Now this latest case should still be labeled alleged, pending the outcome of the investigation into it.

The first case was back in August when a memo surfaced from a group known as the Black Leadership Forum, and sent out to the black community in Atlanta urging them to back one particular candidate in the upcoming mayor's race because she was the best black candidate to make sure Atlanta did not get a white mayor.

In September a jury ruled in favor of a white employee of College Park, a suburb of Atlanta, in his suit alleging discrimination in his firing by two members of the city council.

Today we have a story of white coach at a historically black college, Clark Atlanta University, whose firing may have been based on reasons of color.

In Thursday's AJC, [athletic director] Jones said that "expectations for the team are not W's and L's as they are that we have a responsibility to commit to our young men, as well. That's where we were most lacking."

Well that part would be obvious given this coaches record.

[Coach] Bahhur's record was 20-29. The Panthers were 6-5 last season, the team's first winning record since 1991. The team's record in the four years before Bahhur's hire was 4-39.

So if it was about academics, as the athletic director seems to point to, how did the football players do in that regard?

Bahhur said Friday that he was "baffled" at Jones' assertion about his commitment to the players. He said that in his four-plus years as coach, graduation rates for the team had improved over previous teams'. In last year's class, he estimated that 15 of the roughly 25 senior team members graduated last spring, two more have since completed graduation requirements and an additional two are on track to graduate in the spring. He said he has also raised money for renovated facilities for the team, including the locker room, weight room and coaches office.

I want to caution people the case is being investigated by the EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, so no conclusions should be reached yet, and since the players on the other side of this argument are for the most part keeping silent, probably on the advice of their lawyers, we can not make any judgments.

It is just that when people like Janeane Garofalo come out an smear an entire group of people, those who attend the Tea Party demonstrations as little more then klansmen without the hoods, and other public figures jump to play the race card at every perceived slight, they need to pay just a little more attention and realize that examples of racism or bigotry can exist anywhere, and must be handled on a case by case basis, rather then making blanket statements.

And yes I know posting this story of course makes me a racist, so if that is all you are going to say in the comments, save it. It adds nothing to the discussion and has simply now become the tool of the feeble minded.