Some Folks Learn Their Lessons, And Some Don't
The sports world is still calling for Isiah Thomas' head following a civil jury's awarding of millions of dollars to Anucha Browne Sanders. He very well could be one who deserves to be immediately dismissed by the New York Knickerbockers organization from his lofty general manager post. Testimony has leaked out and Rev. Al Sharpton, not surprisingly, has weighed in--as have so many others from coast-to-coast.
The only problem with the whole 'affair' is that the definition of sexual harassment is still hazy. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that from boss to employee advances, inappropriate language, etc. can be construed as sexual harassment. However, from employee to employee it's not clear at all. If Thomas asked Browne Sanders to kiss him, that is totally inappropriate. If he demeaned her with vile language, that also is inappropriate. But, society is so quick to weigh in without the benefit of all the facts. Unlike a Michigan radio station's "Imus Test" mocking gangs and ebonics in a way that was clearly designed to slam black folks, this situation is a little more nuanced. Even Sharpton, who had called for a protest outside Madison Square Garden (the Knicks' home) until Thomas apologizes, has now admitted that not all of the information on Thomas' taped interview reached the public.
Don Imus And Isiah: America's New Moral Compass?So, why not wait before making hasty judgments? Did Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson learn that from jumping on the bandwagon that vilified the Duke University lacrosse players accused of raping a black woman? Sometimes, it appears, very few lessons are ever learned.
This article is from the Collier Corner