Should we "defund" NPR?

[hambirg]

Sue for what?

Race based discrimination. If these "contracts" haven't been enforced equally then he certainly has a case.

Of course, I think it will be a whole lot more fun for him to spend all that $$$ he's getting from Fox now and just laugh as NPR has to deal with this backlash they have created for themselves.

 

[MissFitt]

I'm guessing Wrongful Termination, but I hope he doesn't do it. NPR's got tons of egg on its face over this and the CEO immediately shoots herself in the foot with her Shrink comment. They're taking withering fire from both the Left (some) and Right. And in the middle of "pledge-week" to boot!

He wouldn't be able to sue for wrongful termination because he had an employment contract that specifically forbade speaking out in a manner that the company determines to be detrimental to his standing as a news analyst for NPR.

 

[MissFitt]

Race based discrimination. If these "contracts" haven't been enforced equally than he certainly has a case.

Of course, I think it will be a whole lot more fun for him to spend all that $$$ he's getting from Fox now and just laugh as NPR has to deal with this backlassh they have created for themselves.

Nope, wouldn't be able to sue for racial discrimination. He wasn't fired because of his race.

 

[mnrose]

Well if a comedian said it, it must be true.

I just read that Juan Williams was the only African-American at NPR.
The other NPR commentators (the non-Africa-Americans) have made outrageous comments, yet they still have their jobs.
Juan Williams was fired AND had his mental health questioned publicly.
I hope he sues.

Obviously, you do not listen to NPR. They have quite a number of AA correspondents and employees. Perhaps their most "famous" show is All Things Considered...on every week day. It is co-hosted by an AA woman, Michelle Norris.

 

[Geoff_M]

He wouldn't be able to sue for wrongful termination because he had an employment contract that specifically forbade speaking out in a manner that the company determines to be detrimental to his standing as a news analyst for NPR.

I didn't say he'd succeed if he tried to do so, but Don Imus also had similar "just cause" conditions in his contract with CBS, but CBS had to cough up $40M to him as part of his wrongful termination suit settlement.

 

[hambirg]

Nope, wouldn't be able to sue for racial discrimination. He wasn't fired because of his race.

Uh. . .he can certainly argue that he was in a court of law.

And, if he is, in fact, the only African American commentator at NPR, I bet you he and his team of expensive lawyers (now that he has the $$$ to pay them) could roll out many hours worth of inappropriate comments made by the non-African American commentators at NPR who, in fact, were not held to the terms of their contracts, but amazingly enough were not fired. Go figure. Add in a sympathetic jury. . .bang boom pow!

 

[No.17CherryTreeLane]

I'm guessing Wrongful Termination, but I hope he doesn't do it. NPR's got tons of egg on its face over this and the CEO immediately shoots herself in the foot with her Shrink comment. They're taking withering fire from both the Left (some) and Right. And in the middle of "pledge-week" to boot!

You are right, of course, but part of me wishes Juan would make NPR as uncomfortable as possible. It seems that while some NPR commentators must conform to "high ethical standards", others do not.

 

[MissFitt]

Uh. . .he can certainly argue that he was in a court of law.

And, if he is, in fact, the only African American commentator at NPR, I bet you he and his team of expensive lawyers (now that he has the $$$ to pay them) could roll out many hours worth of inappropriate comments made by the non-African American commentators at NPR who, in fact, were not held to the terms of their contracts, but amazingly enough were not fired. Go figure. Add in a sympathetic jury. . .bang boom pow!

First of all, he was not the only African American employee at NPR. Second of all, there are examples of others from NPR who made inappropriate comments like Williams; were warned, like Williams, not to do it b/c they were in violation of terms of their employment contracts; they did as their employers wished and stopped. Williams didn't and thus was terminated. No jury needed. (BTW, contractual disputes such as this don't see juries)

 

[No.17CherryTreeLane]

Obviously, you do not listen to NPR. They have quite a number of AA correspondents and employees. Perhaps their most "famous" show is All Things Considered...on every week day. It is co-hosted by an AA woman, Michelle Norris.

I stopped listening to NPR years ago.

I should have been more accurate in my earlier post (now edited) -- Juan Williams was their only African-American Commentator.

 

[NotUrsula]

Not even the only AA male. There are at least two others than I can think of, though neither is as well-known as Williams. (One of them is also a commentator: Aaron Freeman.) There are also some others who have worked there in the past but no longer do, most notably Tavis Smiley and Tony Cox. I'm not sure where Cox is at the moment, but Smiley now works for PRI, and his show is widely carried on NPR stations, including mine. I listen to it all the time.

Honestly, I can't really tell if it is NPR or Williams that is persisting in making a public situation out of this, but it shouldn't be. It's a personnel matter, and as such it should be dealt with in private. If Williams wants to sue, then fine, he should file suit, but trying this in the court of public opinion is bizarre. (It smells to me like someone somewhere has a profit motive in all this hoopla, but right now the various accusations and justifications are flying so thick and fast that I can't figure out exactly where that motive lies. However, it wouldn't surprise me if the agitator turned out to be neither NPR mgmt nor Williams, but some third party.)

 

[hambirg]

First of all, he was not the only African American employee at NPR. Second of all, there are examples of others from NPR who made inappropriate comments like Williams; were warned, like Williams, not to do it b/c they were in violation of terms of their employment contracts; they did as their employers wished and stopped. Williams didn't and thus was terminated. No jury needed. (BTW, contractual disputes such as this don't see juries)

Not true. . unless there is a contractual waiver. . .and in 2005 it was ruled that any pre-dispute, contractual waiver of jury trial is unenforceable.

 

[hambirg]

Not even the only AA male. There are at least two others than I can think of, though neither is as well-known as Williams. (One of them is also a commentator: Aaron Freeman.) There are also some others who have worked there in the past but no longer do, most notably Tavis Smiley and Tony Cox. I'm not sure where Cox is at the moment, but Smiley now works for PRI, and his show is widely carried on NPR stations, including mine. I listen to it all the time.

Honestly, I can't really tell if it is NPR or Williams that is persisting in making a public situation out of this, but it shouldn't be. It's a personnel matter, and as such it should be dealt with in private. If Williams wants to sue, then fine, he should file suit, but trying this in the court of public opinion is bizarre. (It smells to me like someone somewhere has a profit motive in all this hoopla, but right now the various accusations and justifications are flying so thick and fast that I can't figure out exactly where that motive lies. However, it wouldn't surprise me if the agitator turned out to be neither NPR mgmt nor Williams, but some third party.)

1.8 million from Soros.

 

[MissFitt]

Not true. . unless there is a contractual waiver. . .and in 2005 it was ruled that any pre-dispute, contractual waiver of jury trial is unenforceable.

No, I meant that it usually doesn't get as far as a jury trial as most parties settle out of court

 

[NotUrsula]

1.8 million from Soros.

Well, actually, my money was on the executives at Fox. Keeping this story alive would attract more attention to the new show that they are creating for Williams. (Whatever else you can say about Fox, one thing is for sure: they have a very strong profit-driven culture. You don't survive working for Murdoch if you don't buy into that.)

I'm not sure how Soros might profit from having NPR accused of racial bias and censorship? That doesn't seem very logical to me.

 

[MissFitt]

1.8 million from Soros.

2 million from Murdoch

 

[ManMythLegend]

All I have to say is that I don't really care whether NPR loses it's public funding. NPR has been shown to be a complete joke with leadership that is so left winged they could tip the scale over. NPR is a fraud and a joke and Juan Williams is going to be just fine.

NPR = Nonsense Public Radio

 

[rie'smom]

Do I fear all Muslims? No
When I'm on a plane and see someone in Arab dress take a seat does it make my heart race for a few seconds? Yes
Then I get over it and go back to reading my book.
Am I the only one who feels this way? No
Does this make me a bigot? I don't think so. It makes me human. It's a flight or fight response that lasts seconds.

Should we defund NPR? Nah, they're not important enough to worry about.

 

[MissFitt]

Do I fear all Muslims? No
When I'm on a plane and see someone in Arab dress take a seat does it make my heart race for a few seconds? Yes
Then I get over it and go back to reading my book.
Am I the only one who feels this way? No
Does this make me a bigot? I don't think so. It makes me human. It's a flight or fight response that lasts seconds.

Should we defund NPR? Nah, they're not important enough to worry about.

Why would a human's heart race because someone in Arab dress takes a seat next to them on a plane? What about Arab dress would make one nervous?

If it was George Clooney taking that seat...then I could understand the heart racing.

 

[ManMythLegend]

why would a human's heart race because someone in arab dress takes a seat next to them on a plane?

9/11

 

[Bilberry]

Yes, never understood why tax payer money should go toward radio and TV programming. Let NPR and PBS also compete in the private sector.

Overall, thought that out of this whole mess Bernie Goldberg made one of the better points in his article today. Juan Williams is not the only casualty from this firing, so is American liberalism.

"The Betrayal of Liberalism — By Liberals"
http://www.bernardgoldberg.com/the-betrayal-of-liberalism-by-liberals/