A Point of View

Gwendolyn Grant
President & CEO
Urban League of Greater Kansas City
December 19, 2007

Mind-Boggling Behavior

I hope people recognized Superintendent Amato’s “non-denial denial” of his former chief of staff’s sworn statement accusing him of referring to School Board members Helen Ragsdale and Marilyn Simmons as “bitches.” Amato merely stated that the complaint accusing him of employment discrimination was “without merit.” It is telling that he did not unequivocally deny the offensive language.

You know why? Because he knows several KCMSD employees heard him and some will verify that he did make the disparaging and disrespectful utterances about African American leaders. Frankly, it is mind-boggling he would insult our intelligence with an incredible denial that is wholly “without merit.”

Complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are serious and must be given considerable weight because they are sworn statements made under the penalty of perjury. If a complainant lies he can be prosecuted like Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby, and former Olympic champion Marion Jones.

Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison resigned in the face of a sworn EEOC complaint. Amato should be immediately placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation. Principals, teachers and other school district personnel facing unverified accusations of misconduct are customarily placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation. Mr. Amato, whose so-called “denial” was not made under penalty of perjury, should be treated the same.
His continued presence may have a chilling effect on witnesses and potentially interfere with any investigation. Moreover, allowing him to remain in his position during the investigation is inexplicably disrespectful to Mrs. Ragsdale and Ms. Simmons. Shame on School Board President Dave Smith who should respect the dignity of these African American women. His acquiescence to Amato’s intemperate language is mind-boggling.

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It is unconscionable for Mayor Mark Funkhouser’s wife to call a black female staffer in his office “mammy.” The Mayor’s explanation that his wife often endearingly adds “ee” to monikers of her friends is baffling. She doesn’t call him “Funkee.” It boggles my mind that he had the temerity to make that inane statement over the airwaves. He expected intelligent, racially enlightened people to believe such poppycock. Amazing.

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Calling a black woman “mammy” is offensive and should be unacceptable in our Mayor’s office. It is also offensive and unacceptable for the person called mammy to do nothing. A proud self-respecting African American woman would have taken immediate action. Ruth Bates, on the other hand waited weeks or maybe months to take action. Why? Probably, because she really wasn’t offended until she learned that she is one of the lower paid staffers in the Mayor’s office. When asked why she initially failed to complain about the slur, her explanation was obsequious: “I felt like it really was not my position to teach Gloria how she should behave herself in the workplace.” Hogwash! She had an obligation to herself and all Black women to tell Gloria to cease and desist spewing racial slurs in her presence.

In light of her failure to do so and consistent with her incredulous assertion that money was not the object of her complaint (“…although my pay was extremely low…it wasn’t a really big, big deal for me. I would have just gone along and waited …”), the City should not pay her for any damages alleged in her EEOC complaint. People who fail to recognize or respond to racial indignities in a timely manner don’t deserve compensation.

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