An employee at IBM, watching the D.C. snipers get arrested, says that “[t]hey should put those two black monkeys in a cage with a bunch of black apes and let the apes f**k them.” A coworker (“Jordan”), hearing the comment, talks to some of his colleagues, who confirm that this man has made similar comments in the past. Since IBM requires that its employees report any possible discriminatory activity to their supervisors, Jordan makes such a notification. In response, IBM fires Jordan.
Now, the 4th Circuit says IBM’s action was perfectly legal, and not illegitimate retailiation. And here’s the part that makes my blood boil: It’s because they said that Jordan was unreasonable, not wrong but unreasonable, in thinking that his coworker’s action may have been actionable under anti-discrimination doctrine.
Full analysis here. This is a mix of appalling and infuriating.
UPDATE: For some reason this post was put beneath older pieces on the front page. I rewrote history to move it to the top.