MICHIGAN CITIZEN. 15
BENTON HARBOR AREA NEWS
I
Hea
ot race di ..... ··mination
nd
f
ortimcr hired Karen KnoU for
AWloa J the CoUDSCIor position. Knoll'
Correspondent qna1ificatio :
...-..;;.......;;..;;..J�.;;;;.;:;..;;.;;.;;.______ -B.S. Degree in Criminal
I BENTON HARBOR - In J,;"ti�;-Six �ths a fifth
an un ual move, the u.s. Jus- emtriet Council seaetary; .
tioe Departmcllt fiJed and Won a - Three months as a fruit
class action suit charging packer;
r ce �n against the -One month temporary
Berrien County Health Depart- deputy clerk;
ment - Three months internship
The case filed on be as a pr�ation officer.
of Mary Ha kins and was' In. � a ��th Educator
litigated in the u.S. District 1,. Mo�r � JgDored Haw­
Court in Grand R pids Oc- kins, hiring mstead Janet M<r
tober 24-26 with Judge' Ben- hity.re �ho listed these
jamin Gibson presiding. qualifications:
Thesuitsuccessfullycharged - B.S. Degree in Social
that Hawkins' rights were vio- Work.
lated on two ceouats under - Ten months a Social
Section 706 of Title vn of the Worker.
Civil Rights Act of 1964. - Eight moJiths as a Case
., Worker.
- Two months as Summer
Youth' Counselor.
-Six months as Book-.
keeper. ,
I According to the suit, Ber-
rien Health Dept. violated their
own personnel policies. By rely­
iDg on subjective criteria of
. Director Michael Mortimer,
rather than on written job
qualifications in the hiring of a
coun elor and educator, the
civil rights of Hawkins were vio-
. Iated,
Also, the department's af­
fumative action policies were
disregarded in ftlling the two
posts. Hawkins is African
American, the two women hired
are white.
Hawkins denied two dif-
ferent jobs in the Department
- that of Su ance Abuse II
Counselor and Health
Educator I for th substance
. abuse program.
Her qualifications included:
- Certified in dental
Hygiene. ..
- B.S. degree in Health
Science.
- MA. degree in Counsel­
ing and Personnel
- Over 20 years experience
in mental hygiene, health and
dental health education; six
y rs in counseling and drug
education to pregnant women,
domestic violence and run-away
teenagers. Many of the clients
were substance abusers, co­
abusers, or victims of abuse.
- Specialty Certificate in
Substance Abuse in 1986 &om
the Western Michigan UniYec­
sity.
··DeI .
q""i6cat�
Statistical data presented to
the courts established that
Blacks have never penetrated
the upper echelons of the
Department's Health Educa­
tion Division. This information
reinforced the case of dis-
�CriI_ltiOn Ha· .
.. -.�� ''''eVi&�,ce in cated 21
percent of 85 persons employed
by � Health Department are
minorities.-
However, it was shown, that
Blacks are employed in the Rat
Control Section of the Environ­
mental Health Division and as
Public Health Nurses Assistants
in - clinical outreach program.
Also, a Black male is
employed as Health Education
Assistant for the Sickle Cell
Anemia program.
There has never been a Black
Health Educator or Counselor
in the Berrien County Heal
Deparmenl
According to census data,
Berrien County is approximate­
ly 20percent African American
in population.
Reasons for not hiring Haw
kins offered by the defendants
were ruled by Judge Gibson as
pretexts for discrimination, H\!
further stated her rights had
been grossly violated and there
was no comparison of her
qualifications, years of ex­
perience, motivation, or
credentials with those whom the
defendants hired for the posi­
tions.
Damages, in an undisclosed
amount, re awarded to Haw-
kins. I'
Witnesses for Hawkins were
Dr. Hanel Taylor andJolitaAl­
lene Smith.
Witnesses for the Health
Department were Jerome Erik­
son, Michael Mortimer, Donald
'McKisson, Edgar Morris,
Cheryl McAdams. County
Proseeator Tom Byerley repee­
seDted the defendants.
Shop I at home��.A:
Sur�,
Cure
for an
ailing
community
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