I first posted on this story last year of a “Whites Only” sign posted at a workplace drinking fountain in Niagara Falls: http://kathmanduk2.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/whites-only-sign-found-in-niagara-falls-drinking-fountain/
Here is an update on the case and its resolution.
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February 27, 2009
‘Whites only’ signmaker hears his court fate, awaits status
Niagara Falls Public Works employee James R. Curtis played a race card – literally – when on Aug. 13 at the City Garage he used a time card to put a handwritten “whites only” note on a public drinking fountain.
Curtis, 52, told The Buffalo News after his arrest late last August that he thought better of the bad joke and threw out the sign shortly after he put it up.
But by that time, it had been photographed by an African-American worker.
The incident drew national attention when Curtis originally faced a much more serious felony hate crime charge, but last October, the Niagara County district attorney’s office agreed to reduce the charges against him after interviewing his fellow public works employees.
The city already had been facing heightened racial tensions in the Public Works Department since a discrimination lawsuit was filed against the city by six African-American employees.
Curtis remains suspended from his job with pay, though he may lose the job if a disciplinary case against him proceeds.
He escaped jail time during his sentencing Friday on a misdemeanor aggravated harassment plea. But he was given three years supervised probation and 50 hours in Niagara County’s works program. He also must attend cultural diversity training, submit to random alcohol and drug testing, and pay a $200 surcharge.
His lawyer, Harvey F. Siegel, said Curtis has paid a high enough price for what Curtis himself called, “the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life.”
“This is a very racist act which was done for no good reason,” City Judge Mark A. Violante told Curtis. “It isn’t a joke and it shouldn’t be a joke.”
– Nancy A. Fischer
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02/28/09 06:50 AM
NIAGARA FALLS COURT
Probation imposed for racist sign
On buffalonews.com
NEWS NIAGARA BUREAU
NIAGARA FALLS — A truck driver for the city Public Works and Parks Department told a judge Friday that putting up a racially motivated “whites only” sign on a water fountain last summer was “the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life.”
James R. Curtis then was sentenced to three years’ probation, 50 hours in the Niagara County works program and mandatory cultural diversity training.
City Judge Mark A. Violante also ordered Curtis to submit to random alcohol and drug testing, and pay a $200 surcharge.
“This is a very racist act which was done for no good reason,” Violante told Curtis. “It isn’t a joke, and it shouldn’t be a joke. . . . Niagara Falls is a very diverse city. The people in this city shouldn’t have to put up with this.”
Curtis, 52, of 80th Street, who has worked for the city for 26 years, admitted putting up the handwritten “whites only drinking fountain” sign in the city’s public works garage Aug. 13.
He told police investigators when he was charged Aug. 29 that he quickly realized that posting the sign was a bad idea. He has told The Buffalo News that he threw the card away and that “no one was ever supposed to see it.”
The sign—handwritten on the back of a time card — was found and photographed by an African-American worker, and prompted a weeklong investigation that involved the state attorney general’s office.
Curtis’ arrest attracted national attention. He originally faced a much more serious felony hate crime charge until October, when the Niagara County district attorney’s office reduced the charges after interviewing his fellow employees.
He pleaded guilty Nov. 11 to second-degree aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor.
Harvey F. Siegel, Curtis’ defense lawyer, said his client was not “mean-spirited” and pointed to support from 44 of his co-workers, including several African-Americans.
Siegel said in the courtroom on Friday that this was a way that some of the workers joked around and that Curtis has been “deeply embarrassed and ashamed.”
“Now his future employment remains hanging in the balance. The mayor said himself when this started that whoever did this will be fired,” Siegel said.
Curtis remains on paid administrative leave and faces a disciplinary proceeding.
Mayor Paul A. Dyster would not say late Friday afternoon what might happen to Curtis as a result of the proceeding — but added that the incident has left a blemish on the city.
“It certainly damaged the reputation of the city, subjecting the city to national ridicule,” Dyster said. “Also, as a practical matter, there has been a loss of time [because of] dealing with the consequences of his actions. It’s created more work for our [Law] Department, for our Human Resources Department, our city administrator’s office, and it has resulted in an additional burden on our public works department.”
Racial tensions in the department should have been readily apparent to Curtis, Dyster said, adding that the city has stepped up efforts in the city work force to combat discrimination.
In the courtroom, Curtis said, “I’m terrible sorry for what I did.”
To comment on this story, go to the Niagara Views blog.
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July 15, 2009 at 10:00+00:00Jul
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