Florida sports fans may be interested to learn that Major League Baseball umpire Angel Hernandez has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league and the commissioner of baseball. The lawsuit was filed on July 3.
In court documents, Hernandez, a native of Cuba, claims that MLB officials have denied him work in the World Series in favor of white umpires with less experience and qualifications. The suit also claims that he has never been promoted to permanent umpire crew chief even though he has applied for the position on multiple occasions. It further alleges that only one minority umpire has been named to the World Series umpire crew over the past several seasons.
Hernandez, 55, has been an umpire for 24 MLB seasons. He was named temporary crew chief in 2005 and 2012 and promoted to the World Series umpire crew in 2002 and 2005. His lawsuit seeks back pay and compensatory damages, as World Series umpires earn a higher wage than regular season umpires. In June, Hernandez also filed two discrimination complaints against MLB with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids employers from discriminating against employees based on their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Florida workers who believe they are facing unlawful employment discrimination may find relief by seeking Boca Raton, Florida, workplace racial discrimination legal assistance. An attorney could review a victim’s case and explain how to properly document incidents of discrimination. Counsel could then file a claim with the EEOC if appropriate.
Source: USA Today, “Ump files racial discrimination suit against MLB“, James Pilcher, July 4, 2017
