Score one for Whitey. The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a $2.1 Million Judgement against the City of Kansas City, Missouri regarding a white woman who was rejected for a Municipal Judgeship. Melissa Howard was one of three white women who were finalists for a vacant Municipal Judgeship in 2006. At the time, the City Council publicly criticized the lack of "diversity" in the candidates and rejected all three (it was a 7-6 vote). I guess being a woman is not diverse enough to be a Kansas City Municipal Judge. A white Man really never stood a chance, did he? Maybe they can find a Black, Lesbian, Hunchback with a law degree to fill the next vacant seat, that should satisfy everyone.The case was initially decided by jury in 2008 with the City found to be in violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act. The City's Appeal was based on the argument that the Judgeship nomination process was not subject to the Act. In 2010, the Missouri Court of Appeals agreed. Another appeal was filed and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.
The judgement is $633,333 in actual damages, $2.1 in Punitive Damages, and court costs, interest, etc.. The total bill to the City will be in the $2.5 Million range. While I feel for Ms. Howard, two and a half million dollars of city Taxpayer money is far too much. This city can barely offer it's citizens basic services and to come up with this amount of money is going to be painful.
