Workplace discrimination suit filed against Archie Comics co-CEO

Gender discrimination continues to be an issue in the workplace; however, most people only think about it as being a women’s issue. A recent lawsuit filed in New York is a twist on the typical workplace discrimination case. The plaintiffs in the suit, the majority being white men, claim that the female co-CEO of the company bullied them and referred to them as male genitalia during a business meeting. The defendant is disputing the suit.

The suit claims that the defendant exhibited dangerous and destructive behavior at work, using the name-calling incident during the business meeting as an example. The plaintiffs allege that the intimidation began after the defendant’s husband died in 2008, when she took on a dictatorial persona. However, the claims about her behavior that are listed in the court documents go back several decades. The plaintiffs seek $25 million in restitution, with an additional $7.5 million to fund an anti-bullying campaign.

The attorneys for the defendant are fighting back, claiming that this lawsuit is an attempt to discredit their client. They argue that no discrimination has taken place because white males are not included in a protected class. In addition, they claim that the plaintiffs have no evidence that anyone at Archie Comics was terminated because they were a white male.

It is illegal in New York for employers to discriminate against anyone, regardless of gender. While this law is typically used to protect women in the workplace, it also applies to men. For this reason, anyone who is subjected to workplace discrimination is well within their rights to look at options for fighting back.

Source: CNBC, White men can’t jump to court, Archie Comics co-CEO says, Jane Wells, Dec. 3, 2013

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