Biff_Poindexter
Diamond Member
Black Man Who Was Forced to Work Without Pay by White Boss Should Get $546,000 in Compensation, Court Rules
This may be one of the most horrific stories that The Root has ever reported.
www.theroot.com
"For 23 years, Bobby Paul Edwards, who owned the J&J Cafeteria in Conway, South Carolina, enslaved John Christopher Smith, an intellectually disabled Black man who Edwards beat and forced to work long hours for literally no pay. Smith worked 18 hours a day, six days a week and was forced to live in a “cockroach-infested” apartment behind the business. Edwards’ family knew Smith was being enslaved and did nothing to try and stop it. Whenever Smith’s family came looking for him, Edwards would lock Smith in the kitchen freezer or in another room so that his family couldn’t find him. Once, when Smith tried to escape he was caught and burned with hot tongs, beaten with belt-buckles and called the n-word repeatedly.
Edwards was finally caught, and in 2019 he pleaded guilty to one count of forced labor and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the Justice Department said. As a part of the initial settlement, Smith was awarded $273,000 in unpaid wages and overtime compensation. Well, the Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit doubled that amount, which would be $546,000."
This is an outrageous attack on the free market -- the government has no business interfering with employer/employee relationships -- if that employee is willing to work for that employer for no pay; that is his legal right and the free market should ultimately decide what if anything should happen to this employer. Now because of this out of control Justice Department and their Attorney General; they are basically trying to financially ruin this man....Did they ever think about how their actions have affected the other workers at this restaurant and the community at large?
However, to claim this is slavery is ludicrous....No one was forcing this guy to work there and his family basically didn't care about him -- at least this employer was kind enough to give him a place to stay, a job ..he didn't beat this guy...this guy was there for 20 plus years, obviously he was happy....but did this retarded darkie appreciate his boss's kindness?? Nope.....