• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Jury awards $260,000 to Md. towing company owner denied business because of his ethnicity

JANFU

Land by the Gulf Stream
Supporting Member
DP Veteran
Monthly Donator
Joined
Dec 27, 2014
Messages
59,034
Reaction score
38,583
Location
Best Coast Canada
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Slightly Liberal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-local:homepage/card

Town procurement rules favored locally owned businesses and Greg’s Towing was the only towing company in Riverdale Park. But what Ashkar thought would be a straightforward business transaction degenerated and morphed into a discrimination case. With allegations that town officials called him a “camel jockey” and “foreigner” who couldn’t pass a background check, Ashkar sued, saying he found himself shut out from doing business because of his ethnicity.

After a four-day trial and two hours of deliberation, a Prince George’s County jury last month agreed, finding Riverdale Park must pay Ashkar $260,000 in damages for denying him business based on his Middle Eastern background.
Police Chief and others still employed. What a great message that sends on discrimination
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-local:homepage/card


Police Chief and others still employed. What a great message that sends on discrimination

Riverdale Park Town Manager John N. Lestitian replied in a statement that the town respects the judicial process but plans to file a motion asking a judge to reconsider the jury’s decision because “the Town does not believe the verdict is supported by the law.”

“The Town disagrees with the assertion that discrimination was at play in selecting to do business with a firm other than the plaintiff’s company,” Lestitian said. “Riverdale Park is a diverse and welcoming community and the Town has and will continue to celebrate both diversity and inclusivity.” Lestitian said he couldn’t comment on the town’s post-trial court actions specifically because the matter remains in litigation.

But Zaslow and Ashkar say they’re convinced that the bad treatment was not a coincidence.

“In court, the town asserted that it was their business decision to select an alternative towing company since Greg’s Towing was temporarily removed from a list of county-approved vendors as ownership was transitioning to Ashkar,” Zaslow said. “We were able to systematically show that each purported business decision was actually a pretext.”

Hopefully the correct side prevails.
 
Last edited:
Riverdale Park Town Manager John N. Lestitian replied in a statement that the town respects the judicial process but plans to file a motion asking a judge to reconsider the jury’s decision because “the Town does not believe the verdict is supported by the law.”

“The Town disagrees with the assertion that discrimination was at play in selecting to do business with a firm other than the plaintiff’s company,” Lestitian said. “Riverdale Park is a diverse and welcoming community and the Town has and will continue to celebrate both diversity and inclusivity.” Lestitian said he couldn’t comment on the town’s post-trial court actions specifically because the matter remains in litigation.

But Zaslow and Ashkar say they’re convinced that the bad treatment was not a coincidence.

“In court, the town asserted that it was their business decision to select an alternative towing company since Greg’s Towing was temporarily removed from a list of county-approved vendors as ownership was transitioning to Ashkar,” Zaslow said. “We were able to systematically show that each purported business decision was actually a pretext.”

Hopefully the correct side prevails.

Which one is the correct side?
 
top officials in the police department continued to call him a “camel jockey” and “foreigner.”

That's not cool at all.

He was born and raised in America. He's American.

That will never be enough for people like them though.
 
That's not cool at all.

He was born and raised in America. He's American.

That will never be enough for people like them though.

I was never able to be "Texan enough" for about half of the people in my neighborhood of Mansfield, TX, even after being there for ten years.
I wasn't born and raised in Texas, therefore I was a dirty Yankee, plain and simple.

If I'd been too poor to move, I would have just put up with it, but because we were no longer too poor, we both decided that we were sick and tired of being judged by ignorant rednecks. The rest of the people were wonderful, and I miss them.
We just decided it was time to move back to a place where almost everyone is from somewhere else.
That's Southern California.

Unfortunately, many people do have to just "put up with it"...until it comes down to institutionalized and sanctioned discrimination. Then they don't have to put up with it.

I hope he gets his payout.
 
I was never able to be "Texan enough" for about half of the people in my neighborhood of Mansfield, TX, even after being there for ten years.
I wasn't born and raised in Texas, therefore I was a dirty Yankee, plain and simple.

If I'd been too poor to move, I would have just put up with it, but because we were no longer too poor, we both decided that we were sick and tired of being judged by ignorant rednecks. The rest of the people were wonderful, and I miss them.
We just decided it was time to move back to a place where almost everyone is from somewhere else.
That's Southern California.

Unfortunately, many people do have to just "put up with it"...until it comes down to institutionalized and sanctioned discrimination. Then they don't have to put up with it.

I hope he gets his payout.

My brother recently made the opposite move, claiming taxes; what is your position?
 
My brother recently made the opposite move, claiming taxes; what is your position?

California's enhanced Medicaid (Medi-Cal) is covering things which aren't normally covered on my daughter's bare bones policy, and I will eventually make use of that as well, at least up until I hit 65 and Medicare takes over.
That's tax supported.
What I am getting at is, yes...our taxes are higher but we're getting something for it.

We're too late to take advantage of the public schools, as our kids are grown now, but when they graduated from Texas schools, neither of them got any US or World History education whatsoever, but they got their fill of Texas History, that's for sure.
Texas public schools are horrible.

I don't know what to say about your brother's issue because while TX has no state income tax, they tax the daylights out of plenty of things instead. Property taxes in Texas are pretty damn high, and toll roads are now the latest thing to encroach everywhere. If he moved to a tiny town with a tiny population and little to nothing in the way of city services then yes, he's maybe getting a break on taxes.

Sorry but it's not like the taxes are so crippling that you can't live here, contrary to popular opinion.
We pay more taxes, but as long as we're getting something for them, I don't see a problem.
 
California's enhanced Medicaid (Medi-Cal) is covering things which aren't normally covered on my daughter's bare bones policy, and I will eventually make use of that as well, at least up until I hit 65 and Medicare takes over.
That's tax supported.
What I am getting at is, yes...our taxes are higher but we're getting something for it.

We're too late to take advantage of the public schools, as our kids are grown now, but when they graduated from Texas schools, neither of them got any US or World History education whatsoever, but they got their fill of Texas History, that's for sure.
Texas public schools are horrible.

I don't know what to say about your brother's issue because while TX has no state income tax, they tax the daylights out of plenty of things instead. Property taxes in Texas are pretty damn high, and toll roads are now the latest thing to encroach everywhere. If he moved to a tiny town with a tiny population and little to nothing in the way of city services then yes, he's maybe getting a break on taxes.

Sorry but it's not like the taxes are so crippling that you can't live here, contrary to popular opinion.
We pay more taxes, but as long as we're getting something for them, I don't see a problem.

Corpus Christi area....?
 
Riverdale Park Town Manager John N. Lestitian replied in a statement that the town respects the judicial process but plans to file a motion asking a judge to reconsider the jury’s decision because “the Town does not believe the verdict is supported by the law.”

“The Town disagrees with the assertion that discrimination was at play in selecting to do business with a firm other than the plaintiff’s company,” Lestitian said. “Riverdale Park is a diverse and welcoming community and the Town has and will continue to celebrate both diversity and inclusivity.” Lestitian said he couldn’t comment on the town’s post-trial court actions specifically because the matter remains in litigation.

But Zaslow and Ashkar say they’re convinced that the bad treatment was not a coincidence.

“In court, the town asserted that it was their business decision to select an alternative towing company since Greg’s Towing was temporarily removed from a list of county-approved vendors as ownership was transitioning to Ashkar,” Zaslow said. “We were able to systematically show that each purported business decision was actually a pretext.”

Hopefully the correct side prevails.

BWAAHAAHAAHAA.
It already did.
 
BWAAHAAHAAHAA.
It already did.
BWAAHAAHAAHAA! Not according to the defendant.


BWAAHAAHAAHAA! Doh! :doh


Judges and Juries do not always get things right. Or didn't you know that? BWAAHAAHAAHAA!
 
Last edited:
Corpus Christi area....?

Corpus is a nice place, way too much heat and humidity for both of us though.
I dunno...I'm not saying that Texas is that bad, some people are going to love living there and there ARE many things I miss about the place, like the FOOD. California is a food mecca but Texas food is TEXAS food!
And the music...as a Leon Russell fan, being in Texas was like being "a made guy" in the Mafia.
Being anywhere in the South as a Leon fan was like being a made guy.

And I miss all my Texas friends terribly.

But all in all, we are both happier being BACK in Southern California.
 
BWAAHAAHAAHAA! Not according to the defendant.


BWAAHAAHAAHAA! Doh! :doh


Judges and Juries do not always get things right. Or didn't you know that? BWAAHAAHAAHAA!

Here's a good analogy. Charles Manson is convicted of serial killing, but says that the courts wrongly decided it.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
 
Here's a good analogy. Charles Manson is convicted of serial killing, but says that the courts wrongly decided it.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Not a good analogy.
The present case has no comparison to the Manson case to even be an analogy.
And Manson was not convicted of serial killing, nor did he kill anyone.

And btw,
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Doh!





And just an FYI for those interested.
Southwestern Law Review | Vol. 45

Eye of the Beholder: The wrongful conviction of Charles Milles Manson

(Link)

by:
Carrie Leonetti
University of Oregon
School of Law
Associate Professor, Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Fellow (Link)
 
Back
Top Bottom