(4) News Coverage of Price v. HUD
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White inspector claims bias in losing out on job (02-19-04)
(From the Belleville News-Democrat in Belleville, Illinois)
EAST ST. LOUIS -- "A Belleville white man is claiming he is the victim of racial discrimination because a federally funded nonprofit agency hired a black man over him for a construction inspector's job.
"Larry Price, 59, will make his case for the discrimination claim against the city Community Development Block Grant program during a settlement conference at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office in St. Louis scheduled for the morning of Feb. 26.
"Price said he applied for an advertised position of housing inspector in December 2002, but heard nothing from the agency.
"The lack of a response surprised him, Price said, because he had worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 24 years in a variety of construction inspection jobs and believed his credentials were impeccable.
" 'I've done nothing but construction work,' Price said.
"Four months later, after receiving no response to letters of inquiry, Price spoke to Diane Bonner, the agency's executive director.
"Bonner told Price that the man who got the job -- Gene Evans, the city of East St. Louis' former director of regulatory affairs -- was picked because 'he had vast experience and he had HUD certifications,' Price said. Bonner declined to comment in detail on Price's EEOC complaint. 'However, I can say that his allegations are untrue,' Bonner said.
"Price is not the first white job applicant to claim a publicly funded body in East St. Louis had practiced racial discrimination.
"In 1998, six white applicants for firefighter jobs with the East St. Louis Fire Department reached a settlement with the city and agreed to drop a federal discrimination lawsuit against it. As part of the settlement, the city agreed to hire the white firefighter applicants.
"What's more, Price has a track record of tackling reverse discrimination cases and winning. [See especially Price v. HUD Summary.]
"Price spent his last four years at HUD battling his bosses for job promotions he said he was illegally denied because of his race and gender.
"Price finally won his administrative fight in January 2002, when he signed a settlement agreement with HUD that promoted him to a senior construction analyst position, and awarded him back pay and cash totaling about $50,000.
"HUD also paid Price's legal fees of $141,000, though the agency did not admit doing anything wrong.
"Price's fight with HUD has not ended, though. Price quit the housing agency in 2002 in frustration, alleging HUD failed to honor its part of the settlement.
"As for his complaint against the community development agency, Price said the overriding issue centers on making the best use of tax dollars.
" 'It still boils down to tax money,' he said. 'You're not getting what you paid for.' "
Excerpted from the Belleville News-Democrat story by Mike Fitzgerald published Thursday, Feb. 19, 2004
Last known link to the original
story:
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/7985928.htm
Fairness, not preferences (09-18-02)
(Editorial in the Belleville News-Democrat in Belleville, Illinois)
"Affirmative action is one of those liberal do-good ideas that was supposed to correct the federal government's hiring sins of the past. Instead, it is creating even more discrimination.
"Just ask Belleville-area resident Larry Price. As a white male, he was repeatedly passed over for jobs and promotions while his employer, the Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] gave preference to less qualified women and minorities. It's the same old hiring unfairness, just a different set of workers being held back.
"... So much preference has been given to women and minorities that they actually are over-represented at HUD and, ironically, at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
"If affirmative action isn't stopped, it is going to end up costing the taxpayers dearly. [Mr. Larry] Price won a bias complaint [against HUD] that awarded him back pay and legal fees, and similar lawsuits are in the works.
"... Our nation is built on recognition of individual accomplishments regardless of race or gender. Giving preference to one [racial] group over another is patently unfair, and ends up pitting Americans against each other."
Excerpted from the Belleville News-Democrat editorial published Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002.
The editorial is no longer available
for free on the web, but the link to the Belleville News-Democrat is:
http://www.belleville.com
HUD employee files bias suit on promotions (09-15-02)
(From the Belleville News-Democrat in Belleville, Illinois)
"Employees at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development know it as the "Big D" - Diversity. It is shorthand for an affirmative action program that forces HUD managers to promote blacks and women almost exclusively, even over better-qualified white males.
"At least that's the view of Larry Price, who worked 27 years in HUD's St. Louis office.
"Price, 57, spent his last four years at HUD battling his bosses for job promotions he said he was illegally denied because of his race and gender. "You can see it wasn't right," said Price, who lives south of Belleville. "You had people being promoted and put in positions who weren't even qualified for them."
"Price mortgaged his house to hire a lawyer. He finally won his administrative fight in January [2002] when he signed a settlement agreement with HUD that promoted him to a senior construction analyst position, and awarded him back pay and cash totaling $50,000.
"HUD also paid Price's legal fees of $141,000, though the agency did not admit doing anything wrong.
"Price's triumph proved short-lived. In March [2002], HUD supervisors in Washington, DC, demanded that Price begin a series of temporary job assignments across the country for a minimum of 30 days at a time.
The Belleville News-Democrat quotes Mr. Larry Price as saying "It boils down to 'OK, you won, but we're going to make an example of you so no one else does it. It's aggravating. You're never settled."
"Price might yet get the last laugh. After taking early retirement in May [2002], he filed a retaliation claim against HUD."
Excerpted from the Belleville News-Democrat story which appeared on page 1A Sunday, Sept. 15, 2002. The author is Mike Fitzgerald.
The story is no longer available for
free on the web, but the link to the Belleville News-Democrat is:
http://www.belleville.com
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