By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Board
The KC Council's attempt to be politically correct has backfired, costing the city $2.1 million.
That's the upshot of a Platte County jury's verdict from Thursday. The jury quickly concluded after a trial that the council had rejected Melissa Howard for a Municipal Court judicial position because she was white.
Howard was one of three white women who were considered for a position on the court in 2006.
But on a 7-6 vote -- led by Mayor Kay Barnes -- the politicians said they wanted to see a minority on the panel of potential judges.
"There is an issue of equity, related to racial mix," Barnes said during the debate.
The council sent the panel back to the Municipal Judicial Nominating Commission.
But the commission refused to change its position. Its leaders said it had considered minority as well as majority candidates, and forwarded the three best-qualified candidates to the council.
Eventually, the council refused to fill a Municipal Court vacancy using that panel of nominees.
However, earlier this year, a new City Council selected one of the three finalists from 2006 -- Katherine Emke -- for a Municipal Court position.
The attorney who represented Howard put it pretty bluntly after Thursday's verdict.
Said Mark Jess: "The jury completely understood that it is absolutely illegal and inexcusable to refuse to consider people for employment because of the color of their skin."
Martin Luther King Jr. could not have said it better.
Yael T. Abouhalkah is a member of The Kansas City Star's Editorial Board.
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The very definition of institutional racism
Its ironic that a white woman could win a reverse discrimination suit when a white woman was ultimately selected for the job: Don't believe your lying eyes as it were. Moreover, the nominating committee demonstrates its own racism in providing a white's only nominating slate. This also eviscerates Howard's claims or reverse discrimination.
So Howard's rationale itself is racist. Suggesting that we commit reverse discrimination by insisting on a diverse slate of candidates to choose from merely prevents minorities from even being considered--and institutionalizes discrimination...The NFL has such a rule, in fact, a requirement that teams interviewing head coaches interview at least one minority coach. Rather than being a win over reverse discrimination this is, in fact, a win of institutionalized racism, saying its 'legal' to only consider white candidates.
$2.1 million
I wonder where this money will come from? Not from the politicians obviously. But from which part of the current City budget? Yeech! Maybe the City can stop buying salt so that they won't be able to deal with ANY snow removal next year? Or there must be a few more old age homes in need of new airconditioning for the poor and aging residents than can be put off just as Funk did last year.
the political process
I don't know much about how this appointment to the bench got made but I am astounded to see a jury penalize the City for the political process used to make a political appointment. I have no string feeling because I don't know wenough about this but I am still amazed.
This should never have happened
"But on a 7-6 vote -- led by Mayor Kay Barnes -- the politicians said they wanted to see a minority on the panel of potential judges".
So much for Barnes support for women.
I don't remember who the six voting against were but I remember the debate. One or more of the six said they felt legal council was offering advice to back the Mayor's position.
I remember a time when you would have been lucky to have one woman on the panel.
Shame on Barnes and her six unfair councilmembers for playing politics with the taxpayers money. Is there any finacial responsibility for the 7 who caused this?