Abercrombie to Pay $40 Million for Bias
SAN FRANCISCO — Civil rights attorneys announced the settlement of a class action lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch that requires the retail clothing giant to pay $40 million to Latino, African American, Asian American and women applicants and employees who suffered discrimination.
The settlement, approved by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston, also requires the company to institute a range of policies and programs to promote diversity among its workforce and to prevent discrimination.
The lawsuit was originally filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco in June 2003 on behalf of nine young people of color, including students and graduates of the University of California and Stanford, who were refused sales jobs or terminated based on their races and ethnicities.
Minah Park, a staff attorney with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, applauded the plaintiffs: “This case is an example of a handful of individuals making an impact in the struggle to end racial discrimination.”
The consent decree covers the recruitment, hiring, assignment, promotion and training of employees. The store is required to pursue “benchmarks” for hiring and promotion. In addition, the company must hire 25 recruiters who will seek out minority employees.
The company will also name a vice president for diversity and provide diversity training for all employees with hiring authority.
The settlement also requires that marketing materials — including the posters, shopping bags and catalogs — include members of minority and ethnic groups.
Kobayashi Scarfs Down 69 Burgers in Eight Minutes
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Japanese American Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi ate 69 Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes to collect $10,000 and was crowned the first Krystal Square-Off World Hamburger Eating Champion. A Krystals hamburger is 2.5 square inches.
The 130-pound Kobayashi is better known for being the champion of Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest, held on Coney Island, N.Y.
Kobayashi beat out 13 other contestants, including Korean American Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas who downed 46 Krystals and pocketed $5,000 for second place.
Jindal Backs Louisiana GOP Pick for Congress
BATON ROUGE, La. — Bobby Jindal, newly elected from the 1st Congressional District, is already starting to throw the weight of his name around by endorsing fellow Republican Charles Boustany in Louisiana’s 7th District runoff on Dec. 4.
Boustany, a retired heart surgeon from Lafayette, faces a tough campaign against Democratic state Sen. Willie Mount, the former mayor of Lake Charles. He’s received strong backing from the Republican Party in TV advertising and visits from Vice President Dick Cheney.
Blowfish Toxin Yields Relief for Cancer
Cancer-pain treatment derived from a puffer-fish toxin is entering a key trial phase in Canada with 150 patients participating in one of the nation’s largest clinical trials.
Originally developed at Beijing Medical University as a drug for heroin withdrawal, Tectin has been shown in early trials to relieve refractory cancer pain for up to two weeks in some patients. The promising results encouraged the manufacturer to pursue a larger trial. Tectin, developed by International Wex Technologies, has yielded effects up to 3,000 times stronger than morphine.
Toxin from the puffer, also known as blow fish or fugu, is used to create the drug. In Japan, fugu is enjoyed by the rare few who can afford and are daring enough to try the expensive and potentially lethal delicacy.
FBI Busts 51 Chinese Gangsters
NEW YORK — U.S. federal prosecutors announced charges against 51 alleged members of two Chinese gangs, accusing them of everything from attempted murder to immigrant smuggling to trafficking in counterfeit clothing and purses.
Thirty gang members have been arrested; the rest remain at large.
Officials said the gangs used violence to protect their territories and profits, and they warned people against buying counterfeit products in New York’s Chinatown and elsewhere.
Pasquale D’Amuro, assistant director of the FBI, said the list of crimes committed by the gang members “reads like the basic handbook for organized crime.”
Authorities say gangs charge up to $75,000 a person for providing false documents and smuggle two or three at a time through Los Angeles; Newark, N.J.; and New York’s Kennedy Airport.
They also said Chinatown was no longer victimized by gangs that once presided over nearly every block.