By Milt Harris ——Bio and Archives--August 1, 2023
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Somewhere along the line American companies have succumbed to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion form of “division.” In case you're unfamiliar with DEI, it is a rating system that some banks, investors and stock brokerage houses now hold in higher regard than profitability. Proof that the radical puppeteers of the far left will pursue illogical ideals even if that means sacrificing what is best for the company and therefore its employees.
Quotas by any other name are still quotas, and as everyone should know by now, quotas don’t work. The self-appointed social justice warriors on the left are insisting on a more diverse workforce, even if that means hiring people that are not the most qualified. These geniuses are also profiling companies by only one visual metric, skin color. Yet, if you only use skin color, it does not make for a diverse work force. True diversity is when different ideas and solutions are brought into the workplace and the ensuing discussions transform and grow the company. If you diversify by skin color only, you are not taking the individuals strengths and weaknesses into account and you may very well be setting them up for personal failure.
The Compass Group USA is one of the largest foodservice contract businesses in the world. Worldwide it employees over 500,000 people, with revenues in excess of $25.5 billion dollars. On their website in bold letters they proclaim, “Doing Everything Better All The Time.” Which is a great example of why you should never just read the headline, because Compass Group is most definitely not doing everything better.
In the U.S., Compass Group is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Courtney Rogers worked for them remotely from her home in San Diego, California. The company has swallowed the DEI Kool-Aid in a big way and received their obligatory pat on the head by appearing on the Forbes list of best employers for diversity from 2018-2022.
For her part, Rogers was hired in August of 2021 and was given the job title of “Recruiter, Internal Mobility Team.” Her duties include processing internal promotions, posting job listings, reviewing applications, conducting interviews, writing offer letters, organizing, and arranging background checks, ordering drug tests, onboarding new employees, and updating personnel files.
In March of 2022, Compass created a supposed diversity program called “Operation Equity.” The program offered “qualified employees” special training, a mentorship, and a guaranteed promotion upon graduating.”
On July 24th of this past week, the Rogers vs. Compass Group USA lawsuit was filed in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The suit was brought under the guidance of the Thomas Moore Society, who supervised the legal action.
It seems that “Operation Equity” was restricted to only “women and people of color.” Translation: White men were not allowed to participate and therefore were not eligible for the benefit of special training, mentorship or a guaranteed promotion.
The lawsuit stipulates that by calling it “Operation Equity,” Compass “used a euphemistic and false title to hide the program’s true nature.” The complaint went on to say that the program would more accurately be called the “White Men Need Not Apply” program, since it is an example of “outright racial balancing, which is patently unlawful,” and is the kind of program “promoted by people, who harbor racial animus against white men.”
Rogers claims that she informed management that there were high-level employees that described the program this way:
“This is the direction the world is going, jump on the train or get run over,” and “We are not here to appease the old white man.”
Rogers claims that she informed management that the program was illegal and requested an accommodation, because the program “violated her ethical beliefs.” Management assured her she would not have to participate and that there would be no retaliation against her for sharing her concerns.
However, Rogers claims she was fired in November of 2022, even though she received positive performance feedback from supervisors and colleagues. The stated reason for termination was “failure to perform job duties,” the legal complaint stated.
In the lawsuit, Rogers is seeking relief for religious discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, as well as wrongful termination.
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In an interview with The Epoch Times, one of Roger’s attorneys, Weisenburger and Jonna which is located in Rancho Santa Fe, California, stated that Roger’s personal religious beliefs as a Christian prevented her from being part of “Operation Equity.”
Weisenburger, who also represents the Thomas Moore society as a special council, said that Rogers believes “everyone is created equal,” and she, therefore, “could not in good faith be a part of implementing a program that would discriminate against people on the basis of race and color.”
Rogers also believes the program violates “federal and state laws that prohibit race and sex discrimination,” which provide “no exclusion for white males.”
To Weisenburger, the case is obvious. The company fired her:
“for objecting to discrimination. Not only was she trying to do the right thing by standing up to this, but she was also trying to protect Compass Group because Compass Group was doing something illegal. So she was standing up to this injustice, and as a result, she was fired.”
Rogers is seeking financial compensation for discrimination and retaliation. She is also asking that the court order the company’s senior management in the Human Resource Department, be required to attend the “Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Fair Treatment training classes.” Lastly, she requests oversight to make sure that the company does not discriminate and retaliate against other employees the way it did with her.
It sounds like Ms. Rogers neighborhood is open to everyone, unlike the one where Compass USA vegetates.
Have A Wonderful Day.
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Milt spent thirty years as a sales and operations manager for an international manufacturing company. He is also a four-time published author on a variety of subjects. Now, he spends most of his time researching and writing about conservative politics and liberal folly.