At one point in my life I spent over 10 years working for an organization that builds affordable housing (technically it's heavily subsidized housing, not really affordable). In 2017 I was let go, along with almost everyone else who had my job who was in the same demographic category as I was. We were all replaced by people in more favored demographics. I'm sure that a commitment to "diversity" had anything to do with these moves. It was probably that they could pay the new hires about half of the already low salaries of those who went away.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. A friend who still works there told me about a position that I was uniquely qualified for with a salary that was attractive. After thinking about it, I applied. I went through a phone interview, which went well and the feedback I got was positive. Then silence for a couple of weeks, and a request from me for an update. Well, in short, the update was that I somehow wasn't a good enough candidate to get an in person interview.
I went in to this process knowing that I had three strikes against me. 1. Old. 2. White. 3. Christian. I'd hoped that my unique qualifications might have balanced out these flaws, but I was apparently wrong. I honestly thought that they'd string me along, go through an in person interview or two, before they dumped me.
I suspect that whoever gets this position will be less qualified than me (pretty likely given the position), and will be a member of a "protected" demographic group.
My question is whether or not it's worth consulting an employment law attorney to see if I even have a tiny chance of a claim.
20 comments:
Good God, white men are truly the most emotionally fragile and self-important snowflakes who hate how they aren't quite the privileged class they once were.
It's a Truth:
When the arrogant, presumptuous privileged start to become LESS-privileged*, they will nearly always view it as an attack on their class.
* NOT unprivileged or oppressed, mind you... just slightly less privileged.
Grow up, son. It's not all about you.
Thank you so much for demonstrating whit male hatred so well.
It's not about some vague "privilege" in the least. It's about at lest going through the motions of interviewing a well qualified candidate before passing based on a prior commitment to "diversity".
In this case, it is about me. I'm the literal person who's potentially been discriminated against.
But It's impressive to see you so vehemently supporting age, race, and gender discrimination.
Of course, as someone who represents actual people in helping them get good jobs, I, of course, am opposed to ALL actual discrimination.
That I don't just blindly buy your privileged white male PERCEIVED discrimination doesn't mean I support discrimination. Of course.
That your little feelings are hurt because you ARE GUESSING they were just sticking it to the white man doesn't mean that's what happened.
That's the point, son. It's not all about you any more than it's all about me, as an old white guy.
That you presume that I'm an old white guy hater (when I literally am one!) just demonstrates that your reasoning is emotionally irrational, based more on your little hurt feelings than, you know, reality and stuff.
You see, the thing is, thanks to your privileged pervert felon you elected, getting hired is increasingly difficult. As someone who represents adults with disabilities trying to get good jobs, I'm well-aware of how difficult it can be.
But please, don't be a whiner who places their white privilege as some kind of deficit over and against people who HAVE demonstrably had prejudice against them in the hiring process. It's just a little arrogant and privileged and emotionally fragile. You're not entitled to any jobs.
Then you would support me in pursing this if there was illegal discrimination.
As noted, you can choose to believe that firing multiple,long tenured, "old white guys" and replacing them with young "diverse" hires was a coincidence. That time I chose to let it slide.
It's becoming more and more clear that you didn't actually pay attention to what I actually wrote. Given that, I'll let you continue to rant and argue against your straw men.
I'll add this, regarding any potential further action. Obviously I'll wait to see who is hired for the position, and whether or not they have the qualifications I have. If the qualifications are equivalent or better, then no problem. Further, it is unlikely that it is even possible to prove discrimination (despite the fact that they basically advertise that they discriminate), and I would be unlikely to pursue anything without an excellent chance of having a positive outcome.
Finally, I would argue that being (theoretically) punished for illegal discrimination would be a good thing for the organization, because continuing to violate federal law would be bad.
Excuse me for saying so at your blog, Craig, but Dan's a rank asshole.
First, he against indulges his fantasies about Trump being a pervert and a felon, while he continues to enable and support true and actual sexual perversion constantly, as well as the intentional murder of the conceived in utero. I will remind him of his perversions every time he takes a cheap shot at our president who is a far better man than Dan will ever be. And Trump hasn't done a damned thing which inhibits the ability of anyone to get hired.
Second, being an old white guy like Craig and myself is not the same as being a self-loathing white guy like Dan regardless of his age.
Third, there's no negative attached to pointing out the reality of diversity hires being a matter of increasing the pool of employees based on superficial crap over ability and merit. Hiring a buffoon simply because his race was enslaved 150 years ago is not beneficial to anyone and it's inherently immoral.
I have to add...I can't help but think you expected Pervert Dan to chime in and pretend you're somehow in the wrong. How could that asshat possibly control himself.
I'm sick of Danny boy and his ilk saying "white" people are privileged. There was never any privilege given to me in my life, especially in my later working career when I couldn't get a job BEAUSE I am "white," and almost lost a promotion for being a "white" male -- the black guy was so unqualified that they couldn't find an excuse to give him the job and the lesser qualified female decided to take a different job. If they had simply looked at merit and qualifications those two wouldn't have been in the picture. And that is just two instances of many where my "whiteness" and sex gave me no privileges at all. Everything I got, buddy, was by my own hard work. Too many of those hollering that "whites" are privileged sit on their asses and expect the world to bow to them.
Well, his hatred is showing through quite brightly on this one.
I really wasn't thinking about it one way or another. I didn't expect his vehement defense of discrimination and vilification of me for merely wanting to get the opportunity to compete based on my skills and experience.
Dan lives in a fantasy world, and demands that others accept his fantasies as reality.
Given Dan's recent trend of avoiding commenting here, or doing a drive by and running away, I really didn't expect anything from him. In hindsight, this is exactly the kind of post he likes to get involved with. It allows him to tout his expertise, and rely on feelings and outrage instead of having to deal in facts.
That you all may choose to play the, "Oh, poor me, another poor, oppressed white Christian man... " card and deny white privilege, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Of course, it does. But it's one of the signs of the privileged white male to deny it and say, "but I had it rough growing up in a time and place white Christian men were denied opportunities!" so, that's a big red check mark for you fellas.
https://projecthumanities.asu.edu/white-privilege-checklist
https://publicintegrity.org/inequality-poverty-opportunity/the-heist/racist-history-wealth-gap-redlining-maps
https://www.npr.org/2022/08/13/1113814920/racial-wealth-gap-economic-inequality
https://www.vice.com/en/article/white-privilege-examples/
That you may choose to make shit up and pretend like that's what I'm saying is certainly your prerogative, but why not play in the real world for a while?
That literally no one here is saying the bullshit you made up explains why you suck at "making your points" and arguing against the points others make.
It's amusing to see you so defensive about a particular, specific, situation where it is possible that I have been discriminated against.
Again, because apparently you're an idiot who didn't pay attention, I have over 10 years experience working for this organization, and I exceed the stated qualifications for the job. Given those simple facts, it seems incredibly unusual that I did not get an actual interview.
This isn't about some bullshit white privilege garbage, it's about interviewing and hiring based on qualifications.
Read for understanding.
"I'm sick of Danny boy and his ilk saying "white" people are privileged. There was never any privilege given to me in my life,"
Craig, who didn't read for understanding....
"This isn't about some
bullshit
white privilege garbage,"
Almost poetic in its angry
emotionally-wrought
white privilege.
What are you rambling about, fool.
Oh the problem, as usual, is that I do understand your idiotic ramblings. That you choose not to read or comprehend because your biases, preconceptions, and prejudices isn't my problem.
The reality is that you chose to impose this white privilege bullshit into a post which has nothing to do with white privilege. You continuing to push your narrative, when it doesn't fit might be a positive from a persistence standpoint. Unfortunately it's also displaying a high degree of idiocy.
Dan's saying that it doesn't matter that you were passed over for a person of lesser ability because they're a favored class and you, by virtue of age, race and ability are not. That you dare report on this abhorrent practice being perpetrated against you personally means you're a fragile white man who believes you're privileged. But here's the thing: Dan would be hard pressed to find an occasion where a white guy of lesser ability whined about racism for being passed over by a more qualified black or female person. A white guy might whine if losing out on a job to an EQUALLY qualified black or female person, but that's an entirely different matter.
As one who believes the employer can hire on whatever basis he chooses, just as I believe he can do business with whom ever he chooses based on his own criteria, I expect that my age, race and sex might work against me for one employer or merchant, while for another employer or merchant I'm in line with his criteria.
Yet still, I can "whine" if I'm passed over for a less qualified individual on those bases because I'm clearly the better choice. It's not "privilege". It's acknowledging I'm the better choice. Where those superficial traits leave me out in the cold even where ability is equal, one can't tell if my personality will make me the best fit where not a one of us applicants are personally known to the employer. He may want a black guy because of a quota system or because he's a black guy himself and despite being equally qualified, I might still be the better fit. One can't know and rolls the dice based on whatever standards or criteria one chooses for making such decisions.
That Dan chooses to pretend that illegal discrimination does not victimize old white guys is simply him choosing blindness and stupidity over reality.
The problem is that I'm advocating for selection for jobs be based on qualifications first. In my case, if the person who gets the job has better qualifications than I do, I have no problem with that.
I do have a problem with their refusal to give me the opportunity to make the case for why I would be a good hire, but probably wouldn't pursue anything if they hired someone with equal or better qualifications.
In theory, I don't disagree with you. But the reality is that we have anti discrimination laws for a reason. Therefore, if the laws exist, they should be followed, even if you are a left leaning organization striving for diversity.
In this case my gripe is the fact that I was clearly never going to get an opportunity because of my demographic. That's illegal no matter what demographic is being discriminated against.
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