2 Blacks Shot at Ice Skating Rink

[A Ghost]

I work at an Ice Rink which is operated by racist white city workers.

Over the New Years weekend the back room was rented out to a Black family.

During the party 2 people were shot.

Now the racist White workers have more to use for their anti-black propaganda. They felt that the room shouldn't have been rented to them in the first place.

I realize this is an ignorant assumption. What can I tell them to counter their racist philosophies.

This is only going to increase the racial problem in the area.

[A Ghost]

PS, the incident was on page 5 of the paper in a 5 sentence paragraph in the crime report section.

The news media does not report shootings anymore, is that also a racist action?

[AcmeWhiteBread]

What city? What paper? How old are you?

[A Ghost]

A city in upstate New York.

[A Ghost]

I can't post a link to it because there is no article online about it.

They just don't care

[3Harmonies]

Up state NY or even further up Maine is not a place that welcomes or caters to Non-Whites. Even on Late Night Shows they choke joke that these places are the Deep South Up North..

[A Ghost]

Up state NY or even further up Maine is not a place that welcomes or caters to Non-Whites. Even on Late Night Shows they choke joke that these places are the Deep South Up North..

As a matter of fact here's an article about the discrimination lawsuit against the city.

http://old.niagara-gazette.com/story.asp?id=2392

Judge reinstates discrimination suit
By Rick Pfeiffer
Saturday, July 23, 2005

Emmett Cox had a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

Joe Paulk could hardly contain his glee.

The two Niagara Falls Department of Public Works employees and their four co-workers, who collectively form the Niagara Falls 6, were basking in the release of a judge’s decision that reinstated their discrimination lawsuit against the city.

“I was very happy,” Cox said in describing the phone call he received from his attorney Friday morning, alerting him to the decision by State Supreme Court Justice Ralph Boniello III.

Paulk was even more excited.

“I’m overwhelmed, the judge did the right thing,” Paulk said. “This was a very good day in court.”

The “6” were bitterly critical of Boniello in March, when the judge dismissed their lawsuit, ruling the DPW workers had failed to properly file a “notice of claim,” alerting the city of their intention to sue. Members allege they and other African-American employees in Public Works have been the victims of a long-term pattern of racial discrimination.

“There have been all these little whispers (since the lawsuit dismissal) that they (the Falls 6) brought a lawsuit and they were lying,” Cox said. “Well, this proves that what we’re saying is right. We’ll get our day in court. That’s the day we’ll prove everything.”

Mayor Vince Anello reacted cautiously to word that the lawsuit had been reinstated. Anello said he had not seen the judge’s decision nor discussed it with the city’s outside lawyers, Rochester based, Underberg and Kessler.

“Our position hasn’t changed,” Anello said. “I can only speak for my administration, I treat everybody fairly and with respect. And I expect eight hours work for eight hours pay.”

City lawyers could not be reached to comment on the ruling.

Although the Falls 6 are claiming their civil rights were violated, because of the racial discrimination that they say is present in the Department of Public Works, Boniello agreed, in a March decision, with city lawyers who argued that a “notice of claim” needed to be filed with the city prior to beginning the lawsuit.

The city said a “notice of claim” was never filed.

However, a Freedom of Information Act request, made by the Niagara Falls 6, showed a “notice of claim” was made to the city on June 24, 2003, well before their original lawsuit was filed.

Based on that “discovery,” Boniello ordered the original discrimination complaints, which he had dismissed, reinstated.

“That’s all we really wanted,” Niagara Falls 6 member Hugh Lefwich said. “We wanted to get this into a courtroom.”

Lefwich said he believes the city tried to get rid of the case on a “technicality” and failed.

“They (the city) didn’t want to address this,” Lefwich said. “They wanted to eliminate the case, they didn’t want to (disprove) our case. Now we get a chance to get in there (in court) and let it all hang out.”

In addition to reinstating the original discrimination charges, Boniello also gave the “6” permission to file an additional complaint against the city, claiming more acts of discrimination and acts of retaliation.

“I was a little worried because the judge was taking so long to make a decision,” Paulk said. “But then I thought, maybe he’s taking so long because he’s going to rule on all our issues, and that’s just what he did. Now all the defendants that are involved in this case are going to have to answer (for their conduct).”

While the nothing could dampen the happiness of the “6,” one member of the group said he never doubted the case would make its way back to court.

“I never was worried,” William Wilson said, “because I do believe all things do work out for those who believe in the Lord.”

Contact staff writer Rick Pfeiffer at (716) 282-2311, Ext. 2252.