UCLA Surgeon Gets $4.5 After Being Portrayed as a Gorilla Being S*xually Assaulted

Dr. Christian Head is a former surgeon at the UCLA Medical School.  He is now going to be able to move to his next position a wealthy man after receiving a $4.5 million settlement from the university after a series of racially-discriminatory acts by the university.   The 51-year old surgeon filed suit against the University of California Board of Regents, as well as various members of the university’s faculty for a series of racially-discriminatory remarks and retaliation he received for speaking up against his co-workers.

Head claims that he was portrayed as a gorilla being s@domized during a slide show at a graduation event.  When he spoke up, he says that he was punished even further.

“The case presented difficult issues of alleged discrimination and retaliation that were strongly contested,” the university said in a statement. “…The matter was settled to the mutual satisfaction of the parties.”

The incident took place back in 2006.  Dr. Gerald Berke, chairman of the David Geffen School of Medicine’s Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Dr. Marilene w**g were named as co-defendants in the lawsuit as well.  Dr. Head says that the two have made highly inappropriate remarks about African Americans for years.

Maybe lawsuits work.  Workplace discrimination is experienced by a large majority of educated African Americans, even those ranked as high as President of the United States.  With the burden of proof being so high, should African Americans begin banding together in coalitions in the workplace to fight such discrimination?  Consider documenting any discrimination that is done against you and also speak to an attorney.  You might have a case like Dr. Head.