Heads they win, tails guys lose

February 26, 2009

According to the article at the link, the Sarasota County, Florida, Sheriff has agreed to settle a gender discrimination suit brought by a woman who claims she was not promoted because she’s a woman http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090220/ARTICLE/902200333 The settlement was for $300,000 “damages” plus $70,000 in salary she would have earned had she been promoted. Under the pressure of the lawsuit, facing a jury, in a county known for its old bitties network, as part of the settlement, it was reported that the Sheriff agreed with the plaintiff and her dykey lawyer to create a three-person Promotion Assessment Board, which must include at least one woman.

Aren’t the damages from not getting a promotion the salary that she supposedly should have earned had she gotten the promotion?

And is it appropriate that the settlement of a gender discrimination lawsuit should result in a governmental-body enshrining discrimination against guys?

A few days ago, I received a notice reminding certain male, and only male, employees where I work that the law prohibits their continued employment there unless they have registered with the U.S. Selective Service for potentially drafting into the military:

Male employees employed with the state since October 1, 1988, or those over the age of 18 seeking employment who were born on or after January 1, 1960, must have registered with the U.S. Selective Service to be considered for promotion or hire. Pursuant to Section 110.1128, Florida Statutes, on selective service registration –

(1) No person who is required to register with the Selective Service System under the Military Selective Service Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 453, may be offered employment by this state in an authorized position, as defined in s. 216.011, without proof of such registration.

(2) No person who has failed to register as required by the Military Selective Service Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 453, subsequent to October 1, 1988, and who is currently employed by this state may be promoted to a higher authorized position without proof of such registration.

Heads they win, tails we lose. If they are supposedly too fragile to be in combat, how can they be cops?

With more girls than guys going to college and more guys than girls coming home in bodybags, how long before women outnumber guys at the top? When that day comes, will one person on the Promotion Assessment Board have to be a guy? Will empowerment-driven women ever agree to such a thing?

The same lawyer slapped the sheriff with another gender discrimination suit, apparently the same day the settlement was announced – I like to think of it as payback for selling us out.

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