A black Oregon man told his boss about discrimination at work. Then he was arrested.

[pknopp]

Want to bet?

Yep.

I said nothing about getting arrested. You will get fired and your employer will get hit with a large lawsuit.

You said illegal. Legality applies to law and government, with the inference that I could be arrested for breaking said law. The inner workings of the private establishment are wholly different. You bet your ass the employer could fire me, but I'd still have every legal right to say what was said.

As for the employer getting sued, that just depends on the jury and you know it.

You inferred arrest. Not my problem.

 

[whitehall]

He wasn't arrested because he complained about racial slurs. Workplace surveillance found that he was stealing from the company. The suit alleges that the company had no right to place surveillance cameras on their own property.

Wrong, there was NO evidence he stole from the Company, did you bother to read the story?

Did you read the link? The "law suit" contends that there was no evidence. The law suit also disputes the legality of the company using surveillance to monitor the conduct of employees. Why would the defendant challenge the company's surveillance if there was no evidence of theft?

LOL if there was evidence please EXPLAIN why he was released, and why both the city and the Company settled out of Court or lost in court? I suggest you get a remedial reading class.

Nobody in Oregon wanted to litigate a case of petty theft that escalated into a racial incident. Personally I wonder why this junk ended up in a current events forum.

 

[Weatherman2020]

What occurred in this case is standard operating procedure when dealing with black people attempting to protect their workers rights, or any of their rights. I am pleased to see that the actions of the offenders in this case were so well documented

Michael Fesser said West Linn officers unlawfully surveilled him and then falsely arrested him after he complained to his boss about racial discrimination.

Feb. 11, 2020, 1:03 PM PST / Updated Feb. 12, 2020, 5:24 AM PST
By Minyvonne Burke

A black man from Oregon sued the city of West Linn alleging that police officers unlawfully surveilled him at work and then falsely arrested him in retaliation for having raised complaints with his employer about racial discrimination.

Michael Fesser of Portland claimed in the suit, an amended version of which was filed last month in U.S. District Court in Portland, that the incident left him suffering from emotional distress and resulted in economic damages. He sued the city and several members of the West Linn Police Department for false arrest, malicious prosecution, defamation and invasion of privacy.

Michael Fesser.Paul Buchanan
West Linn police began investigating Fesser in February 2017 after Fesser raised concerns to his boss, Eric Benson, owner of A&B Towing, that he was being racially discriminated against at work.

According to separate court documents, Fesser said the discrimination included coworkers' calling him racial slurs. After he raised his concerns, Benson contacted West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus, his friend, and persuaded to look into allegations that Fesser had stolen from the company, according to the lawsuit.

The suit said the theft allegations were false and unsubstantiated.

But with the approval of West Linn police Lt. Mike Stradley, Detectives Tony Reeves and Mike Boyd used audio and video equipment to watch Fesser while he was at work, according to the suit. The surveillance was "conducted without a warrant or probable cause" and did not result in any evidence that Fesser was stealing from his employer, the lawsuit stated.

Regardless, West Linn officers, with the help of Portland police officers, arrested Fesser days later based on Reeves' and Stradley's "false representations" to Portland police that they had probable cause for an arrest.

"Sgt. Reeves and Sgt. Boyd unlawfully arrested, detained and interrogated Mr. Fesser in Portland, outside their jurisdiction, without probable cause," the suit said, adding that the two officers took Fesser's personal belongings, including papers expressing his concerns about racial discrimination at work.

Fesser spent about eight hours at the police station before he was released on his own recognizance. He was later contacted by West Linn police to come to the station to retrieve some of his belongings. While he was there, officers informed Fesser that he had been fired from his job, according to the lawsuit.

"The West Linn Defendants' surveillance, arrest, incarceration and interrogation of Mr. Fesser without a warrant or probable cause and their pursuit of baseless criminal charges against Mr. Fesser were racially motivated, retaliatory, extra-jurisdictional and an egregious abuse of the power with which the police are entrusted," the suit said.

According to the lawsuit, criminal charges in the arrest weren't filed until after Fesser sued his employer over his termination and for discrimination. The charges were later dismissed.

During the litigation in the lawsuit against his employer, Fesser learned that the West Linn police investigation into the alleged theft began as a favor to his former boss, according to the suit. Text messages revealed during the legal proceedings showed that Reeves and Benson discussed the investigation.

In one message, Reeves said Fesser should be arrested before he went further with his racial discrimination complaint against his job so it would not look like retaliation.

The City of West Linn has since settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay Fesser $600,000. The lawsuit against his employer was settled in March 2018 for $415,000.

Paul Buchanan, Fesser's attorney, said his client is pleased that both cases have been resolved.

"He is doing fine," Buchanan said. "This was not about money for him. This was about that they should not be allowed to do this."

According to Buchanan, the settlement against the police department could be the largest in the state for a wrongful arrest.

A&B Towing and the Portland Police Department did not immediately return requests for comments.

The West Linn Police Department said the settlement "is not an admission of liability."

"The City of West Linn and the West Linn Police Department do not tolerate any acts of discrimination or disparate treatment by its employees," the department said in a press release. "In 2018, when the allegations were first reported, an internal investigation was conducted and swift and appropriate disciplinary personnel action was taken."

Minyvonne Burke

Minyvonne Burke is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
A black Oregon man told his boss about discrimination at work. Then he was arrested.​

Good news.

 

[Porthos]

why stand up to illegal authority, just quit.

 

[satrebil]

Want to bet?

Yep.

I said nothing about getting arrested. You will get fired and your employer will get hit with a large lawsuit.

You said illegal. Legality applies to law and government, with the inference that I could be arrested for breaking said law. The inner workings of the private establishment are wholly different. You bet your ass the employer could fire me, but I'd still have every legal right to say what was said.

As for the employer getting sued, that just depends on the jury and you know it.

You inferred arrest. Not my problem.

No buddy, YOU did when you said ILLEGAL. I'm willing to concede you meant "typically prohibited within a work setting by an employer", but at least admit you fucked up your wording.

 

[Vastator]

He wasn't arrested because he complained about racial slurs. Workplace surveillance found that he was stealing from the company. The suit alleges that the company had no right to place surveillance cameras on their own property.

Wrong, there was NO evidence he stole from the Company, did you bother to read the story?

Did you read the link? The "law suit" contends that there was no evidence. The law suit also disputes the legality of the company using surveillance to monitor the conduct of employees. Why would the defendant challenge the company's surveillance if there was no evidence of theft?

LOL if there was evidence please EXPLAIN why he was released, and why both the city and the Company settled out of Court or lost in court? I suggest you get a remedial reading class.

Nobody in Oregon wanted to litigate a case of petty theft that escalated into a racial incident. Personally I wonder why this junk ended up in a current events forum.

And that my friend... Is the keystone to the Negro lottery...

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

Story makes no sense, not buying it. If you're being harassed at work, why the fuck would you keep working there?

Because jobs don't grow on trees and this man had every expectation once he reported instances of repeated racism the matter would be taken care of.

He was wrong.

 

[pknopp]

Want to bet?

Yep.

I said nothing about getting arrested. You will get fired and your employer will get hit with a large lawsuit.

You said illegal. Legality applies to law and government, with the inference that I could be arrested for breaking said law. The inner workings of the private establishment are wholly different. You bet your ass the employer could fire me, but I'd still have every legal right to say what was said.

As for the employer getting sued, that just depends on the jury and you know it.

You inferred arrest. Not my problem.

No buddy, YOU did when you said ILLEGAL. I'm willing to concede you meant "typically prohibited within a work setting by an employer", but at least admit you fucked up your wording.

Running a stop sign is illegal but you aren't going to get arrested.

 

[satrebil]

Want to bet?

Yep.

I said nothing about getting arrested. You will get fired and your employer will get hit with a large lawsuit.

You said illegal. Legality applies to law and government, with the inference that I could be arrested for breaking said law. The inner workings of the private establishment are wholly different. You bet your ass the employer could fire me, but I'd still have every legal right to say what was said.

As for the employer getting sued, that just depends on the jury and you know it.

You inferred arrest. Not my problem.

No buddy, YOU did when you said ILLEGAL. I'm willing to concede you meant "typically prohibited within a work setting by an employer", but at least admit you fucked up your wording.

Running a stop sign is illegal but you aren't going to get arrested.

You can be. It's still a crime. But since it's a petty one, it's called an "infraction" and so long as you're not a total cockass to the cop he'll just write you a ticket.

I cannot be fined or arrested for saying mean things in a private setting. It's not a crime. Period.

 

[satrebil]

Story makes no sense, not buying it. If you're being harassed at work, why the fuck would you keep working there?

Because jobs don't grow on trees and this man had every expectation once he reported instances of repeated racism the matter would be taken care of.

He was wrong.

I don't buy the "maybe he couldn't find another job", especially not in this economy, but it's irrelevant anyways. He has a shitty employer yet he chooses to stay. He's a moron.

 

[pknopp]

Want to bet?

Yep.

I said nothing about getting arrested. You will get fired and your employer will get hit with a large lawsuit.

You said illegal. Legality applies to law and government, with the inference that I could be arrested for breaking said law. The inner workings of the private establishment are wholly different. You bet your ass the employer could fire me, but I'd still have every legal right to say what was said.

As for the employer getting sued, that just depends on the jury and you know it.

You inferred arrest. Not my problem.

No buddy, YOU did when you said ILLEGAL. I'm willing to concede you meant "typically prohibited within a work setting by an employer", but at least admit you fucked up your wording.

Running a stop sign is illegal but you aren't going to get arrested.

You can be. It's still a crime. But since it's a petty one, it's called an "infraction" and so long as you're not a total cockass to the cop he'll just write you a ticket.

I cannot be fined or arrested for saying mean things in a private setting. It's not a crime. Period.

I said it was illegal.

 

[satrebil]

Yep.

You said illegal. Legality applies to law and government, with the inference that I could be arrested for breaking said law. The inner workings of the private establishment are wholly different. You bet your ass the employer could fire me, but I'd still have every legal right to say what was said.

As for the employer getting sued, that just depends on the jury and you know it.

You inferred arrest. Not my problem.

No buddy, YOU did when you said ILLEGAL. I'm willing to concede you meant "typically prohibited within a work setting by an employer", but at least admit you fucked up your wording.

Running a stop sign is illegal but you aren't going to get arrested.

You can be. It's still a crime. But since it's a petty one, it's called an "infraction" and so long as you're not a total cockass to the cop he'll just write you a ticket.

I cannot be fined or arrested for saying mean things in a private setting. It's not a crime. Period.

I said it was illegal.

How the fuck can something be illegal and not be a crime? What world are you living in?

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

I don't buy the "maybe he couldn't find another job", especially not in this economy, but it's irrelevant anyways.

Okay, maybe you don't buy it. Maybe finding a comparable job isn't as easy as you think.

He has a shitty employer yet he chooses to stay. He's a moron.

I had a shitty job yet I stayed on for years
because of benefits and a retirement package. You think he's moron. So what?

 

[Oldstyle]

What occurred in this case is standard operating procedure when dealing with black people attempting to protect their workers rights, or any of their rights. I am pleased to see that the actions of the offenders in this case were so well documented

Michael Fesser said West Linn officers unlawfully surveilled him and then falsely arrested him after he complained to his boss about racial discrimination.

Feb. 11, 2020, 1:03 PM PST / Updated Feb. 12, 2020, 5:24 AM PST
By Minyvonne Burke

A black man from Oregon sued the city of West Linn alleging that police officers unlawfully surveilled him at work and then falsely arrested him in retaliation for having raised complaints with his employer about racial discrimination.

Michael Fesser of Portland claimed in the suit, an amended version of which was filed last month in U.S. District Court in Portland, that the incident left him suffering from emotional distress and resulted in economic damages. He sued the city and several members of the West Linn Police Department for false arrest, malicious prosecution, defamation and invasion of privacy.

Michael Fesser.Paul Buchanan
West Linn police began investigating Fesser in February 2017 after Fesser raised concerns to his boss, Eric Benson, owner of A&B Towing, that he was being racially discriminated against at work.

According to separate court documents, Fesser said the discrimination included coworkers' calling him racial slurs. After he raised his concerns, Benson contacted West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus, his friend, and persuaded to look into allegations that Fesser had stolen from the company, according to the lawsuit.

The suit said the theft allegations were false and unsubstantiated.

But with the approval of West Linn police Lt. Mike Stradley, Detectives Tony Reeves and Mike Boyd used audio and video equipment to watch Fesser while he was at work, according to the suit. The surveillance was "conducted without a warrant or probable cause" and did not result in any evidence that Fesser was stealing from his employer, the lawsuit stated.

Regardless, West Linn officers, with the help of Portland police officers, arrested Fesser days later based on Reeves' and Stradley's "false representations" to Portland police that they had probable cause for an arrest.

"Sgt. Reeves and Sgt. Boyd unlawfully arrested, detained and interrogated Mr. Fesser in Portland, outside their jurisdiction, without probable cause," the suit said, adding that the two officers took Fesser's personal belongings, including papers expressing his concerns about racial discrimination at work.

Fesser spent about eight hours at the police station before he was released on his own recognizance. He was later contacted by West Linn police to come to the station to retrieve some of his belongings. While he was there, officers informed Fesser that he had been fired from his job, according to the lawsuit.

"The West Linn Defendants' surveillance, arrest, incarceration and interrogation of Mr. Fesser without a warrant or probable cause and their pursuit of baseless criminal charges against Mr. Fesser were racially motivated, retaliatory, extra-jurisdictional and an egregious abuse of the power with which the police are entrusted," the suit said.

According to the lawsuit, criminal charges in the arrest weren't filed until after Fesser sued his employer over his termination and for discrimination. The charges were later dismissed.

During the litigation in the lawsuit against his employer, Fesser learned that the West Linn police investigation into the alleged theft began as a favor to his former boss, according to the suit. Text messages revealed during the legal proceedings showed that Reeves and Benson discussed the investigation.

In one message, Reeves said Fesser should be arrested before he went further with his racial discrimination complaint against his job so it would not look like retaliation.

The City of West Linn has since settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay Fesser $600,000. The lawsuit against his employer was settled in March 2018 for $415,000.

Paul Buchanan, Fesser's attorney, said his client is pleased that both cases have been resolved.

"He is doing fine," Buchanan said. "This was not about money for him. This was about that they should not be allowed to do this."

According to Buchanan, the settlement against the police department could be the largest in the state for a wrongful arrest.

A&B Towing and the Portland Police Department did not immediately return requests for comments.

The West Linn Police Department said the settlement "is not an admission of liability."

"The City of West Linn and the West Linn Police Department do not tolerate any acts of discrimination or disparate treatment by its employees," the department said in a press release. "In 2018, when the allegations were first reported, an internal investigation was conducted and swift and appropriate disciplinary personnel action was taken."

Minyvonne Burke

Minyvonne Burke is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
A black Oregon man told his boss about discrimination at work. Then he was arrested.​

So he pulled down a hundred grand in damages for having to spend eight hours in the Police station? Could someone please subject me to discrimination like that!!! PLEASE!!!!

 

[satrebil]

I don't buy the "maybe he couldn't find another job", especially not in this economy, but it's irrelevant anyways.

Okay, maybe you don't buy it. Maybe finding a comparable job isn't as easy as you think.

He has a shitty employer yet he chooses to stay. He's a moron.

I had a shitty job yet I stayed on for years
because of benefits and a retirement package. You think he's moron. So what?

So I think he's a moron. What more do you want?

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

So I think he's a moron. What more do you want?

Nothing. This is a non matter to me.
It sounds like this guy is going to get a lot of money from a stupid employer and the West Linn Police department.
West Linn, by the way, is a very affluent area. This does not reflect well on them.

 

[bodecea]

What occurred in this case is standard operating procedure when dealing with black people attempting to protect their workers rights, or any of their rights. I am pleased to see that the actions of the offenders in this case were so well documented

Michael Fesser said West Linn officers unlawfully surveilled him and then falsely arrested him after he complained to his boss about racial discrimination.

Feb. 11, 2020, 1:03 PM PST / Updated Feb. 12, 2020, 5:24 AM PST
By Minyvonne Burke

A black man from Oregon sued the city of West Linn alleging that police officers unlawfully surveilled him at work and then falsely arrested him in retaliation for having raised complaints with his employer about racial discrimination.

Michael Fesser of Portland claimed in the suit, an amended version of which was filed last month in U.S. District Court in Portland, that the incident left him suffering from emotional distress and resulted in economic damages. He sued the city and several members of the West Linn Police Department for false arrest, malicious prosecution, defamation and invasion of privacy.

Michael Fesser.Paul Buchanan
West Linn police began investigating Fesser in February 2017 after Fesser raised concerns to his boss, Eric Benson, owner of A&B Towing, that he was being racially discriminated against at work.

According to separate court documents, Fesser said the discrimination included coworkers' calling him racial slurs. After he raised his concerns, Benson contacted West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus, his friend, and persuaded to look into allegations that Fesser had stolen from the company, according to the lawsuit.

The suit said the theft allegations were false and unsubstantiated.

But with the approval of West Linn police Lt. Mike Stradley, Detectives Tony Reeves and Mike Boyd used audio and video equipment to watch Fesser while he was at work, according to the suit. The surveillance was "conducted without a warrant or probable cause" and did not result in any evidence that Fesser was stealing from his employer, the lawsuit stated.

Regardless, West Linn officers, with the help of Portland police officers, arrested Fesser days later based on Reeves' and Stradley's "false representations" to Portland police that they had probable cause for an arrest.

"Sgt. Reeves and Sgt. Boyd unlawfully arrested, detained and interrogated Mr. Fesser in Portland, outside their jurisdiction, without probable cause," the suit said, adding that the two officers took Fesser's personal belongings, including papers expressing his concerns about racial discrimination at work.

Fesser spent about eight hours at the police station before he was released on his own recognizance. He was later contacted by West Linn police to come to the station to retrieve some of his belongings. While he was there, officers informed Fesser that he had been fired from his job, according to the lawsuit.

"The West Linn Defendants' surveillance, arrest, incarceration and interrogation of Mr. Fesser without a warrant or probable cause and their pursuit of baseless criminal charges against Mr. Fesser were racially motivated, retaliatory, extra-jurisdictional and an egregious abuse of the power with which the police are entrusted," the suit said.

According to the lawsuit, criminal charges in the arrest weren't filed until after Fesser sued his employer over his termination and for discrimination. The charges were later dismissed.

During the litigation in the lawsuit against his employer, Fesser learned that the West Linn police investigation into the alleged theft began as a favor to his former boss, according to the suit. Text messages revealed during the legal proceedings showed that Reeves and Benson discussed the investigation.

In one message, Reeves said Fesser should be arrested before he went further with his racial discrimination complaint against his job so it would not look like retaliation.

The City of West Linn has since settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay Fesser $600,000. The lawsuit against his employer was settled in March 2018 for $415,000.

Paul Buchanan, Fesser's attorney, said his client is pleased that both cases have been resolved.

"He is doing fine," Buchanan said. "This was not about money for him. This was about that they should not be allowed to do this."

According to Buchanan, the settlement against the police department could be the largest in the state for a wrongful arrest.

A&B Towing and the Portland Police Department did not immediately return requests for comments.

The West Linn Police Department said the settlement "is not an admission of liability."

"The City of West Linn and the West Linn Police Department do not tolerate any acts of discrimination or disparate treatment by its employees," the department said in a press release. "In 2018, when the allegations were first reported, an internal investigation was conducted and swift and appropriate disciplinary personnel action was taken."

Minyvonne Burke

Minyvonne Burke is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
A black Oregon man told his boss about discrimination at work. Then he was arrested.​

White people have this happen to them too. What is your point? Oh, yes, racist.

Then you can share one or more of those stories with us.

 

[whitehall]

The crux of the law suit seems to center around the company's right to conduct surveillance on their own property. That makes you think that the defendant may have played the race card after he was accused of theft.

 

[bodecea]

Story makes no sense, not buying it. If you're being harassed at work, why the fuck would you keep working there?

Because it's illegal? Because there aren't better jobs available? Seriously, the answer according to you is to quit?

That's sad.

What's illegal? People saying mean things? Pretty sure the 1st Amendment applies, especially in a private business.

Yes, the answer is to quit. Nobody is forcing you to be there.

Bingo! The “Gibs me dat” lottery. Shoehorn yourself into a place you aren’t wanted; and sue because people chose not to like you...

I sure don't know why CRCs get tagged as racist.

 

[bodecea]

Can you just imagine telling a CRC to just quit if they had a boss that discriminated against them because they heard they had guns and liked to shoot? Hey....just quit.