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A middle school principal who was demoted for allegedly preventing teachers from giving black history lessons has now filed a lawsuit against the employees who accused her of racism.

Patricia Catania, who served as principal atNew York'sIntermediate School (IS) 224, wasdemoted to an assistant principal jobat a nearby high school this summer. The change came after multiple teachers and students accusedCatania, who is white, of racist behavior during her time at IS 224.

Some of those accusations stemmed from an incident in February2018, whenCatania reportedly barred English teacherMercedes Liriano from teaching lessons centered around black history.

"She's racist," Lirianotold the New York Daily Newsat the time. "She's trying to stop us from teaching our students about our own culture."

That alleged incident led to an investigation from thecity's department of education, as well as publicbacklash from figures like civil rights activist Rev.Al Sharpton, who called Catania's actions a "disgrace" and an "insult."

But now, Catania is pushing back against those comments. Theex-principal has now filed a lawsuit against two black teachers at her former school, as well as two union employees.Catania's lawsuit alleges that the teachers waged a "maligning, malevolentand racist campaign" in an attempt to force her out of the school.

"Calling me a racist is not unlike calling Mahatma Gandhi a violent man there are just no facts to support the charge,and I was well known to be the exact opposite of the grossly misapplied 'racist' label,"Catania said in acourtdocumentobtained by the Daily News. "However, none of this mattered to my cancellers. They decided I had to go, and that was that."

Catania's lawsuit claims that the black historyincident occurred only becauseLiriano did not have an "adequatelesson plan" prepared on the subject. The former principalsays that she asked Liriano to craft a specific plan, which led the teacher to go on a "loud tirade."

The suit goes on to state that the argument with Liriano was the "spark" of a conspiracy to oust Catania so she could be replaced by a principal of "African or Caribbean ethnicity."

Liriano, however, explains the incident completely differently.According to the Washington Post, the teacher presentedCatania with an entire lesson plan for Black History Month, a subject she'd taught for more than a decade. Liriano said she was still rejected and met with hostility from her principal part of a pattern of "racist" behavior against her and other black teachers.

"We were just emotionally distressed by the harassment, the retaliation, the unjust animosity she had towards us,"Liriano told the Washington Post.

"This principal came in with this belief that black teachers were incompetent and set out (to) try to prove it to run them all out of the system,"Jeanne Mirer, a lawyer representing the teachers, told the WashingtonPost. "If that isnt racism, I don't know what is."

It's unclear yet when Catania's lawsuit will be resolved, but the ex-principal hasasked for a trial by jury.

"Shes been portrayed as the villain, but she's really the victim here,"Anthony Gentile,Catania's attorney,told the WashingtonPost. "It was racism, pure and simple, [even though] some people may not see her as sympathetic as when this happens to a brown-skinned person."

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Principal responds after being accused of banning black history classes: 'She's really the victim' - Yahoo Entertainment

C. Ron Allen

Boca Raton, FL It was shortly after 10 a.m. when Radio Hall of Famer Tom Joyner hung up his headset and rushed out of the studios at Hot 105(WHQT,FM105.1) for a bio break. As Joyner gingerly made his way down the hallway, a group of about 30 children and their chaperones greeted him with hugs.

The pioneering urban radio personality stopped for photos, all while sharing his trademark bear hugs with the ladies. Some got autographs, others were in awe after sharing the space with the legend. It was a moment they all will remember.

Just like that Monday morning in June, today, Friday, Dec. 13, is another day that will be etched in my memory. Thats because Joyner, 70, who hosted the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, signed off from the airwaves at 9:59 a.m. after 25 years.

For a quarter century, my alarm went off each weekday at 6 a.m. to Joyners familiar jingle, Oh, Oh, OhIts the Tom Joyner Morning Show indicating the start of a four-hour party with a purpose. At this party though, Joyner and his sidekicks kept their more than 10 million listeners highly informed, motivated and empowered.

This was not just another radio show, he redefined the role of a radio host beyond the traditional perception of a disc jockey. The talented cast, crew and team represented the communitys conscience and provided information and perspectives on important issues that were not being discussed in mainstream media.

The show, which was much a staple in the Black community as soul food and Bible study, was a community, a network that the Alabama Tuskegee, Alabama, native cultivated across the globe. In its heyday, the show was heard in more than 100 cities,. It was not unusual for service members stationed overseas to would call in while listening.

Many political leaders were elected to Congress or other top governmental positions after their stories aired on this platform.

Many political leaders were elected to Congress or other top governmental positions after their stories aired on this platform. He provided jobs for many, including members of congress,countless celebrities especially artists and comedians who got their break on this show.

While the show had its share of buffoonery, Joyner took his position of influence very seriously. He brought health and fitness to the forefront among Blacks with important initiatives such as the 2008 Get Out the Vote and his Take A Loved One to the Doctor campaign, which began as a way toto get Black men to visit the doctor to ultimately prevent fatal diseases.

He doled out financial advice, but most notably is his massive support for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), a project to which he promises to devote continue through his retirement. His Tom Joyner Foundation has raised more than $100 million through an annual celebrity cruise for fans to help enrolled students pay tuition.

The son of a famed Tuskegee Airmen, Joyner was literally one of the hardest working men in the radio business. His career took off long before syndication was the norm. From 1985 to 1993, he hosted a morning show in Dallas, hopped on a plane and did another in Chicago in the afternoon. Then back to Dallas. He was back in Dallas by late evening. He did 10 shows, racked up 8,000 miles weekly and earned him the moniker Fly Jock.

In 1993, Joyner became the first Black personality to successfully go nationwide with music on a morning show with music ,when ABC Radio Networks offered to carry his program on several radio stations from a single base of operation.

Joyner began preparing for this day two years ago. A few factors forced his decision: an aging audience, radio stations attracting younger listeners, advertisers shifting elsewhere, and syndicated rivals such asSteve HarveyandRickey Smiley, who now has the hosting baton, have chipped away his fan base.

My goal was to die on the radio. Have my funeral on the radio, Joyner, who garnered numerous honors during his 50-year career, told a reporter recently.

Over the last two weeks, many celebrities including Oprah, Patti LaBelle, Spike Lee, Tyler Perry and the Rev. Al Sharpton called in or sent toasts to the man who had such a profound impact on them and our community.

It warmed my heart on Thursday when his former sidekick of 20 years, J. Anthony Brown sat in on the entire show. The two parted ways in 2016 after a disagreement, and today, J. called back to say thanks. In fact, heHe was the last caller.

I will miss the show largely because there wont be anyone to expose government corruption, confront the cases of police brutality, and speak the truth to power especially during these problematic times in American history.

But like anything else, such is a part of this journey we call life.

Mr. Joyner, you epitomize what it means to be committed to a cause. You made my life fuller over the past 25 years. , and Tthanks for stressing the importance of the mandateof us we all must makinge an impact on our communities.

I know your good work will continue, there will never be another Tom Joyner or Tom Joyner Morning Show and my mornings will never be the same.

C. Ron Allen can be reached at crallen@delraybeachtribune.com or 561-665-0151.

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Radio Icon Tom Joyner Signs Off, Leaving an Immeasurable Impact - The Boca Raton Tribune

They were members of the Black Hebrew Israelites, the same delightful group who inappropriately taunted a group of high school students who were guilty only of being pro-life and being Catholic...and white.

Jews of all ethnicities are trained to eschew racism, bullying, and cruelty to others--actually, Jews are trained to embrace and fit in with all others who accept them, particularly if they are in a minority who wants to survive and thrive in a majority of people who have different religious beliefs than they do.

And there are, therefore, "real" Jews who are black, brown, and of all ethnicities who want NOTHING to do with the so-called Black Hebrew Israelites, who would otherwise be welcomed within Judaism but whose actions and racist beliefs (and not their skin color) prevent them from being acknowledged as followers of the Torah and Old Testament and later Jewish writings.

Ditto for any white or black or other "follower" of Christianity who bullies, harms, or kills in the name of Christianity--neither the KKK nor any black-separatist Christian group can ever claim the mantle of a true follower of Jesus' teachings...because Jesus died for the "sin" of being a pacifist.

So, when the Nessah synagogue in Beverly Hills was vandalizedand ransacked, the only thing that all could agree upon was Mayor John Mirisch's statement that "this cowardly attack hits at the heart of who we are as a community. It is not just an attack on the Jewish Community of Beverly Hills; it's an attack on all of us.".

But I'm sure that...even among those reading this now...there is this "hope" or "rooting for" the Jew-hater to be on the "other side". If you're a through-and-through right-winger, you're hoping this vandalizing creep is Arab/Muslim, or a left-wing socialist; if you're a through-and-through left-winger, you're hoping this ransacking loser is a neo-Nazi Trump supporter.

But these stupid games belie so many realities that go far beyond the left-right divide:

1) A breathtaking and history-making vote in the U.K. propelled the party of Boris Johnson over Jeremy Corbyn...but inasmuch as it's a demand of Britons to promote "Brexit" it certainly was connected to Jeremy Corbyn's own anti-Semitism (arguably, it should be called "Jew-hatred" because many Arabs are also Semites), and that of the Labour Party's current leaders.

And to prove that theory beyond all doubt, former London mayor and left-winger Ken Livingstone blamed the "Jewish vote" for Corbyn's eye-popping trouncing.

2) Hailed by both liberals and conservatives, despite many who didn't like the source of the executive order, President Trump intervenedon the BDS movement that increasingly threatens the policies and safety of Jews on campuses throughout the nation.

3) And then, yet again, the debate over whether being anti-Israel is the same as Jew-hatred is raised yet again by Dennis Prager.

While the debates over West Bank Jewish settlements, and the debate over the future of Jerusalem, is fair game, when one discovers and hears a rabid anti-Israel individual (arguing against its very existence), that person almost certainly (if one asks the right questions) will prove himself/herself a Jew-hater.

Even more fascinating, of course, is that extends to those individuals who are themselves Jewish!

What the heck they're trying to prove, of course, is something else to be figured out. After all, Jewish guilt comes in many flavors--the greatest capitalists, and the greatest communists/socialists, all were well-represented by Jews. Ditto for our nation's philanthropic leaders and Mafia leaders.

Leaving many outside of Judaism, and many within Judaism, to try and figure out what's going on.

But there are a few common issues that can be considered as "truisms":

1) Ignorance of, and a lack of communication with, Jews leads to anti-Semitism (again, more appropriately termed "Jew Hatred).

2) No one despises Jewish criminals such as Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, and Bernie Madoff more than other Jews--they're everything that Jews are trained NOT to be, and NO ONE, Jewish or otherwise, wants to be associated with that sort of ilk. Let them rot in prison en route to Hell--and the ONLY loss associated with Epstein's suicide or murder is the knowledge he took with him.

3) Non-Jews and non-African-Americans look upon anti-Jewish or anti-black racism or other bigotry as all that goes against humanistic and rational thinking.

So, left-wingers may get heartburn over the prominence of disgusting bigots like Sharpton, Tlaib, and Omar in the Democratic Party, just as right-wingers may get heartburn over the strange outlying groups such as the Proud Boys...

...because if you're an honest, kind, and morally-upright left-winger or right-winger, or anywhere between the two groups, you don't tolerate David Duke, Al Sharpton, Ilhan Omar, or any other race-baiting bigot.

Hence Nikki Haley, as former South Carolina governor, respects what the Confederate flag means to many good-hearted Southerners (it does NOT always mean racist thoughts), but had to yank it down to not reward a deranged and bigoted shooter in a black Church.

Haley also had a lot of support, during her tenure as U.N. ambassador when she called out the U.N. for being both anti-Israel and (yes!) anti-Jewish for decades.

So, for those who want to play the game of "is the Nessah Synagogue vandal Arab or white Neo-Nazi?" it's probably better to step back and see the bigger picture.

Because anyone who's a Jew-hater, a black-hater, or a white-hater, or any other hater, has really (if unknowingly) become a hater against his/her own humanity.

And every morally-upright left-winger, moderate, and right-winger is all too aware of that, and has little to no tolerance or time to play that sort of game.

(CityWatch Columnist, Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father to two cherished children and a wonderful wife. He was(termed out)also a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Outreach Committee, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee and Vice-Chair of its Planning Committee. He was co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee and chaired the nonprofit Transit Coalition and can be reachedatKen.Alpern@MarVista.org.He also co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Lineatwww.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)

-cw

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Jew-Hatred: The Beat Goes On - City Watch

Outrage spread rapidly via Twitter earlier this week based on the spurious claim that President Trump intended to label Jews a separate nationalitya move denounced as encouraging anti-Semitism or as itself anti-Semitic. Although correct information about the executive order that sparked the controversy is now widely available, one need not look far to find essays and editorials condemning it in heated terms. Liel Leibovitz notes that just as our bien pensants were whipping everyone into a wild frenzy over this imagined act of anti-Semitism, an armed couple attacked a kosher grocery store in a asidic enclave in Jersey City, killing two Jews, one Gentile, and a police officer. The couple had brought with them multiple pipe bombs, and could easily have achieved far bloodier results. Leibovitz writes:

The shooting, we now know, was a premeditated attack, and one of the suspects was a black nationalist [a member of an anti-Semitic group styling themselves Black Hebrew Israelites] who had a long and proven track record of posting anti-Semitic screeds online.

Jews make up about 2 percent of the American population, yet were the victims of a whopping 57.8 percent of all religious-bias crimes last year, according to the FBI. Rather than vocally and unequivocally demanding that their Jewish constituents be protected, the politicians representing those targetedfrom New York Citys Mayor Bill de Blasio to Senator Chuck Schumerhave been largely silent on this issue, while at the same time loudly and vigorously accusing the right of racism. Videos like [the] one shot at the scene shortly after the Jersey City attack and featuring local neighbors blaming the Jews for Jews being murdered are not likely to make any politician on the left take action, especially not someone like de Blasio, who has for years been kissing the ring of Al Sharpton, an anti-Semite best remembered for inciting an actual pogrom against the Jews of Brooklyn.

Read more at Tablet

More about: Al Sharpton, Anti-Semitism, Bill de Blasio, U.S. Politics

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From Jersey City, a Bloody Lesson on the Real, and the Imagined, Dangers Facing American Jews - Mosaic

By California Black Media Staff

Keeping up with the high cost of pensions in California is hurting public sector employers, city budgets and leading to the firing of some minority money managers at CalPERS, the California Public Employee Retirement System, which is valued at $387 billion, according to Bloomberg News.

In its annual report, released in November, CalPERS confirmed that it risks falling into low funding levels. If this happens, the agency responsible for managing the health and pension benefits of more than a million public employees in California may not able to pay its bills or pay out its commitments.

The League of California Cities, which represents more than 400 municipalities across the state, is alarmed by the growing mandatory payments they have to cough up to CalPERS for employee pensions and benefits, too, according to CalMatters. Between fiscal years 2016 and 2017, that number skyrocketed by more 8 billion.

In an effort to streamline its own costs, CalPERS announced last week that it is scaling back on its Emerging equity fund program. Launched in 1991 to increase diversity among its portfolio managers, the program contracts external money mangers, mostly women and minority-owned firms managing assets worth less than $2 billion who are charged with investing on behalf of the largest public pension system in the United States.

The returns those emerging managers were bringing in fell below the agencys targets by 126 basis points, according to an agency spokesperson.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of the National Action Network, said CalPERS decision to cut the minority money mangers is unacceptable and comes as a surprise to him.

Last year, the National Action Network and I met with Marci Frost and Ted Eliopoulis from CalPERS in Sacramento, both of whom committed to increasing the utilization of diverse asset managers across all asset classes by creating a level playing field, Sharpton told California Black Media. It is clear that Ted is gone and the board has inoculated the new CIO, Ben Meng, from finding and utilizing high performing talented diverse managers that reflect the diversity of the pensioners.

In an October memo, CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost said the agency is restructuring its emerging manager program, reducing the number of managers, and cutting the assets those investors manage from $3.6 billion to $500 million.

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The Soaring Cost of California Pensions Is Hurting Employers and Taking Away Minority Contracts - San Diego Voice and Viewpoint