Discrimination

A former Newport Beach firefighter has sued the city in Orange County Superior Court, alleging racial discrimination during his probationary employment period. Christian Benard, 37, who is of Nicaraguan heritage, started in the city's probationary firefighting class in March 2009. He alleges that during his 10-month stint he was not given proper medical aid training and was unfairly criticized by captains at Fire Station No. 7 in Santa Ana Heights. Benard asserts in court papers that immediately after he was assigned to the station, he noticed that he was treated differently than firefighters in his class who were not Latino, and that he sought his own medical aid training when it wasn't provided.

The sounds of the high school band Cosmic Infinity reverberated through Corona del Mar High School's quad Friday, drowning out the conversations of students eating lunch. As the music geared up, students celebrated breaking the silence, with some pulling pieces of tape from their mouths and speaking for the first time that day. "I want people to know they are definitely not alone and they can speak up and they have a voice," said freshman Savannah Bachelder, 14, who is part of the Humans Relations Council.

A former Newport Beach fire official accused of racking up $26,000 in unpaid toll road fees while using a city vehicle has sued the city for alleged discrimination and retaliation against an injured worker, court records show. Paul Matheis, a former divisional fire chief, filed a lawsuit against the city of Newport Beach in Orange County Superior Court claiming that the city began to retaliate against him after a shoulder accident that required time off in 2009, according to a May 25 lawsuit.

ANAHEIM — A Muslim woman who is fighting for the right to wear her religious scarf to her hostess job at Disneyland has been taken off the schedule. Disney officials say they stopped putting Imane Boudlal on the schedule during the ongoing issue. The hotel workers' union claims that Boudlal, a restaurant hostess at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, was suspended without pay. On Tuesday, Boudlal rejected a third, alternative head covering that Disney provided, and she was sent home for the eighth time.

Newport Beach will pay a police sergeant $1.45 million after he successfully sued the city, claiming rumors at work that he was gay cost him a promotion, according to details of a settlement released Tuesday night. “All parties have agreed to a compromise in order to put the matter behind them,” Newport Beach City Atty. David Hunt said in a memo released Tuesday night. “From the city’s perspective, while it does not agree with the jury’s verdict and the council has authorized an appeal, the current circumstances justify resolving the case in this manner.

NEWPORT BEACH — In a move that exposes the city to another court challenge, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to revoke an agreement with rehabilitation home operator Morningside Recovery. The drug and alcohol group home company, which has seven locations in Newport Beach, repeatedly violated its contract that allowed it to operate in the city, officials said. With its facilities potentially out of compliance, Morningside could sue the city or apply for state licenses, city officials have said.

Bryce Alderton All members of the housing industry are encouraged to nominate an individual or organization for leadership awards that will be presented at an April luncheon. Nonprofit group Fair Housing Council of Orange County will accept nominations until March 8 from the housing industry for the second annual Fair Housing Leadership Awards presented at an awards luncheon April 18. The awards recognize organizations and individuals who have taken positive action to promote diversity and eliminate housing discrimination in Orange County.

State Sen. Tom Harman criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for signing a bill that prohibits lesson plans that negatively portray people based on their gender, sexual orientation or religion. Harman believes the law, which he said should already be covered in state codes, will leave educators open to discrimination lawsuits. ?Since the Education Code already specifically protects against the type of discrimination targeted in [Senate Bill 777] this legislation is unnecessary and will have many adverse consequences on the moral and religious teaching within families,?

UC Irvine will host the eighth annual Women's Journey Conference on Saturday, a day full of inspirational speeches by leading women. Rep. Loretta Sánchez will lead a discussion on female empowerment, speaking with at-risk girls about issues she's faced, such as pay discrimination, human trafficking, sexual assault in the military and reproductive liberties. All proceeds from the conference go to fund the conference's Self-Esteem Program for at-risk girls. "For me, self-belief was learned over time, and I was fortunate in that, when I was encouraged to try things, I often succeeded," Sánchez said in her book "Dream in Color: How the Sánchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress," according to a press release.

Grass and dirt is sometimes more than meets the eye. As we've seen recently in Costa Mesa, upkeep -- or the lack of it -- of sports fields can mean the difference between a perception of equality and discrimination. That's why it's good to see the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and city officials begin to look for ways to better maintain the ball fields in Costa Mesa. District and city officials' talk of a committee that would deal directly with deteriorating fields at Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools is a hopeful sign.