U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION FINDS THAT YEADON BOROUGH HAS UNLAWFULLY RETALIATED AGAINST WHITE WORKER WHO HAD WON RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CASE AGAINST BOROUGH

In a Determination dated September 29, 2008, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that Yeadon Borough has violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by retaliating against Christi Vitullo for having won a racial discrimination suit against the Borough two years before.

In March 2006, a federal jury in Philadelphia found that the Borough had discriminated against Vitullo, a white woman who had applied for a position with the Borough as a full-time police secretary.  According to the verdict, “race was a motivating factor in the Borough’s decision not to hire Vitullo as full-time police secretary.” 

The jury awarded Vitullo $25,000.00 in back pay and compensatory damages.  The Court subsequently awarded Vitullo $74,460.00 in attorneys’ fees and $9,215.75 in costs. 

Mark A. Sereni of the Media law firm of DiOrio and Sereni, LLP was and remains Vitullo’s attorney.   

Through the time of trial, Vitullo had continued to perform work for the Borough as a part-time police transcriptionist.  Now the EEOC has found that the Borough unlawfully retaliated against Vitullo for her victorious lawsuit by severing her part-time work relationship soon after the jury verdict.  

In a 2006 interview about her reaction to the jury verdict, Vitullo had said, “My parents taught me that racial discrimination in any form is wrong.  I'm very happy the jury has taught the Borough the same lesson.”  In a recent statement, Sereni referred to Vitullo’s earlier reaction to the verdict.  “All Christi really wanted was for the Borough to have learned its lesson to hire and retain the best qualified person regardless of race or any other illegal consideration.  Instead, the EEOC has found that the Borough not only  failed to learn its lesson, it also punished Christi for having exercised her right to be free from discrimination.  I can’t imagine that the good taxpayers of Yeadon would tolerate that kind of alleged abuse of power and waste of resources.”             

For additional information, contact Melanie Berkheimer at 610-565-5700 or mberkheimer@dioriosereni.com.