Judge Tosses Race Discrimination Charge Against Paula Deen
A federal judge has dismissed the racial discrimination claims in a lawsuit filed by a former employee against Paula Deen, the celebrity chef’s representative said Monday.
The former employee can’t claim to be a victim of racial discrimination targeting African-American workers because she is white, U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. ruled.
“At best, plaintiff is an accidental victim of the alleged racial discrimination,” Moore wrote.
Other aspects of the lawsuit, including sexual harassment and abusive treatment, are still pending.
“We are pleased with the Court’s ruling today that Lisa Jackson’s claims of race discrimination have been dismissed,” Deen’s representatives said in a statement to CNN. “As Ms. Deen has stated before, she is confident that those who truly know how she lives her life know that she believes in equal opportunity, kindness and fairness for everyone.”
Deen’s career and public reputation went into a tailspin earlier this summer after her deposition in the lawsuit, in which she admitted using the n-word in the past, was released.
Dean has insisted she does not tolerate prejudice, but her apologies have failed to suppress the controversy.
Former employee Lisa Jackson alleged in the federal suit that Deen and her brother Bubba Hiers committed numerous acts of violence, discrimination and racism that resulted in the end of her five years of employment at The Lady and Sons, and Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House, two Savannah, Georgia, restaurants run by Deen and her family.
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