Thursday, February 14, 2008

A Personal Cry for Justice






Imagine if you lost everything because of racial discrimination and retaliation. By losing everything I mean your job/career, income, health insurance, prescription coverage, friends, family members, physical and mental health, retirement benefits, precious years being a functioning mother and most of all hope.

I am still suffering financially, emotionally and physically from my encounter with New York State Department of Correctional Services’ employees, New York State Attorney General’s Office and the judiciary system.

Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, is currently the governor of New York State. He was elected governor on November 7, 2006. Governor Spitzer was the New York State Attorney General when a member of his staff Mike Russo, Assistant New York State Attorney General, willfully and knowingly filed seven perjured declarations and affirmations in the United States District Court of Western New York.

The perjured declarations were filed in support of the Defendant’s motion for summary judgment and in opposition to my summary judgment motion. G. Goncalves, Diversity Management, Mike Russo, Superintendent A. Andrews, Sergeant William Reed, James Berbary, Deputy Superintendent of Administration, Mary Beth Lindsay, Senior Personnel Clerk and Lee Gould, Director of Personnel signed the perjured declarations.

Russo filed the perjured declarations to prevent a jury from ruling that the Defendants violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended. I believe that by filing the perjured declarations New York State Attorney General’s Office also victimized me. Once again I encountered racism, this time in the judicial system.

On December 21, 2007, I mailed a certified letter return receipt requested to Governor Spitzer. The letter was received by at the Governor’s office on December 27, 2007. As of today’s date Governor Spitzer has not responded to the following letter:

Governor Eliot Spitzer
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Re: Vera Richardson vs. New York State Department of Corrections and New York State Department of Civil Service 97-cv-818

Dear Governor Spitzer:

Please find enclosed a copy of my book titled “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined.”

I am giving you a copy of my book in an effort to give you the opportunity to rectify the unjust denial of my disability retirement application. The denial of my application for disability retirement was just one of the many unfair employment actions I suffered while employed with New York State Department of Correctional Services.

It is my belief that New York State Department of Correctional Services was judicial estoppel from claiming that my disability retirement application was denied because I was not disabled from performing the duties of a correctional officer. This belief is based on the fact that NYSDOCS successfully argued and prevailed in my Title VII lawsuit.

As you know judicial estoppel is an estoppel, which precludes a party from taking a position in a case, which is contrary to a position they have taken in an earlier proceeding. New York State Department of Correctional Services’ prevailing legal position in the Title VII lawsuit stated that I was terminated because I was physical and psychological unfit for the position of correctional officer. Please read chapter eighteen
of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined” for my complete judicial estoppel position.

As the Governor of New York State you are in a unique position to make me a whole person. I am requesting that you take the necessary actions to award me retroactive disability retirement benefits and any other compensation that you may deem appropriate.

Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly anticipated and appreciated.

Respectfully,
Vera Richardson

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&EAN=9780615177014

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Governor Spitzer had the same 'hope and change' campaign manager as Senator Obama. David Alexrod is behind both of these campaigns. When you hear hope and change and everybody coming together, you know Axelrod is the guy writing the script.

Axelrod also ran Governor Deval Patrick's hope and change campaign. All three campaigns are identical. Don't put too much faith in Obama being the candidate of change. Spitzer and Patrick changed nothing after they got into office. Just FYI.