Archive for December 31st, 2007
KTLA The CW | Where Los Angeles Lives: ‘Judge Judy’ Producer Sues After Getting Fired
‘Judge Judy’ Producer Sues After Getting Fired
December 28, 2007, 11:25 AM PST
A former senior producer of the “Judge Judy” show contends in a lawsuit that he was wrongfully fired for complaining that black litigants were being excluded from the show, court papers obtained Friday show.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jonathan Sebastien is seeking unspecified compensatory and general damages from the show and CBS Paramount Network Television.
Another of the show’s senior producers, Randy Douthit, also was sued. He was Sebastien’s supervisor.
“Judge Judy” Judith Sheindlin is not named as a defendant.
Representatives for the program and Paramount were not immediately available for comment.
Before being fired March 30, Sebastien worked for the “Judge Judy” program for seven years and produced Emmy-winning segments during that time, according to his suit.
Sebastien’s problems with Douthit began in January when he was given a written warning during a meeting in which his boss berated and mocked him, the suit states. Sebastien believes the session was held as a pretext to eventually fire him, according to his suit.
After Sebastien was indeed fired two months later, he was told it was based on performance, his suit states. However, Sebastien maintains he was let go because he complained the show was screening out black litigants, according to the suit.
Douthit had told his producers, “We’re not doing any more black shows” and “I don’t want to hear black people arguing,” the suit states.
When Sebastien and other producers objected to the exclusion of black litigants, Douthit replied that they had to book “white upscale, pretty people,” the suit states.
The show’s producers began to stop seeking cases involving black litigants because they were afraid they would be rejected, the suit states.
“Instead, they were told to send these cases to the Judge Joe Brown Show,” the suit states. Brown is black.
Sebastien is the second former “Judge Judy” producer to file suit for wrongful termination against the program in two months. On Nov. 13, former associate producer Karen Needle sued claiming she was fired because her bosses thought she was too old.
Needle, described in the complaint as “an over-40 female,” worked for the program for 4 1/2 years, starting as a receptionist, according to her court papers.
She was later promoted to associate producer and assigned to coordinate and book audiences for “Judge Judy,” the suit states.
Her problems, she claims, began during the summer of 2006 when she began suffering from back pain. She asked her bosses for a new chair, but claims nothing was done, even though she was sometimes seen lying on the ground in pain.
Last March, Needle says she took four days off to be with her ailing 88- year-old mother, but still did her job screening calls. About two weeks later, Needle was fired.
She says she was told it was because of an unspecified conflict from her audience work, but Needle claims the real reason she was let go was to replace her with a younger woman.
Copyright © 2007, KTLA
KTLA The CW | Where Los Angeles Lives: ‘Judge Judy’ Producer Sues After Getting Fired.
Monday,December 31, 2007
N.Y. Landlord-Tenant Wars Spur Both Sides to Seek Help
N.Y. Landlord-Tenant Wars Spur Both Sides to Seek Help
City Council Weighs Two Harassment MeasuresBy Robin Shulman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 31, 2007; A07NEW YORK — In a city of skyrocketing rents, where tenant advocates charge that landlords are increasingly trying to move tenants out of rent-regulated apartments in order to significantly raise the rents, the landlord-tenant wars are becoming ferocious.
Traditional landlord tactics such as turning off heat and hot water are being joined, housing advocates and tenants say, by taking tenants to court repeatedly on baseless charges, such as nonpayment of rent when rent has been paid or illegal residency even if the tenant has the right to live in the apartment.
These allegations have prompted the New York City Council to consider two bills to allow accusations of harassment to be settled in housing court. One bill would give tenants the right to sue their landlords for harassment. An alternative bill, with less support, would give landlords the right to sue problem tenants for harassment.
Monday,December 31, 2007
New US DOT Hazmat Safety Rule to Place Lithium Battery Limits in Carry-on Baggage on Passenger Aircraft Effective January 1, 2008
Press release:
PHMSA 11-07
Friday, December 28, 2007
New US DOT Hazmat Safety Rule to Place Lithium Battery Limits in Carry-on Baggage on Passenger Aircraft Effective January 1, 2008
Passengers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning January 1, 2008 once new federal safety rules take effect. The new regulation, designed to reduce the risk of lithium battery fires, will continue to allow lithium batteries in checked baggage if they are installed in electronic devices, or in carry-on baggage if stored in plastic bags.
Common consumer electronics such as travel cameras, cell phones, and most laptop computers are still allowed in carry-on and checked luggage. However, the rule limits individuals to bringing only two extended-life spare rechargeable lithium batteries*, such as laptop and professional audio/video/camera equipment lithium batteries in carry-on baggage.
“Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires,” said Krista Edwards, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Safety testing conducted by the FAA found that current aircraft cargo fire suppression system would not be capable of suppressing a fire if a shipment of non-rechargeable lithium batteries were ignited in flight.
“This rule protects the passenger,” said Lynne Osmus, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assistant administrator for security and hazardous materials. “It’s one more step for safety. It’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it.”
In addition to the new rule, PHMSA is working with the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the battery and airline industries, airline employee organizations, testing laboratories, and the emergency response communities to increase public awareness about battery-related risks and developments. These useful safety tips are highlighted at the public website: http://safetravel.dot.gov.
Monday,December 31, 2007
