Both from today’s Daily News:
NYU pays $210,000 to worker ridiculed as ‘monkey’ and ‘gorilla’ by supervisor. An ugly story to remind us that we are not yet “post-racial.”
And Slain cop Russel Timoshenko’s mother goes ballistic over killer’s lawsuit against city recalls a lawsuit on which I did a little work in the early 1990’s. Our client, a pitifully wormy and utterly irritating little guy with many mental problems was beaten so badly by Department of Correction officers at Rikers Island, he nearly lost one eye.
Can’t remember why he was in Rikers but it certainly was not for murdering a young policeman. The lawyer I worked for won the case and the client netted about $45,000 from the City. He was not an appealing character. But he was indeed badly beaten by officials.
The even more unappealing Lee Woods—plaintiff in the federal lawsuit cited today—claims he was badly beaten by Correction officers. Woods says he was “jumped” by the guards. City lawyers say Woods provoked the attack.
Woods was convicted for murdering Russel Timoshenko and given a life sentence. His lawsuit will not change his sentence.
No law provides that only sympathetic plaintiffs get to sue. This is a lawsuit that must be and will be heard before a judge and jury.