A hate crime: Man fired for calling Mexicans 'Mexican'

Is there anything else I am missing?

http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln4_0422.html

German, Spaniard, Canadian, Chilean.

Do those words offend you? Are they words that identify a group of people?

How about a generalization involving such groups, such as: all Canadians eat fish. Does this offend?

Let's say, you are offended. What consequences should follow? Is a stern warning deserved? Sensitivity training? How about a job?

Pipe welder Bill Hen– deley Jr. said he was fired from his job Wednesday for using the word "Mexican" in describing a person from Mexico at a group safety meeting.

Hendeley said he has worked for Fagen Inc., an engineering and construction company based in Granite Falls, Minn., off and on for the past 10 years. The company is building an addition to the Big River Resources ethanol production plant in West Burlington.

Hendeley, who recently moved to Burlington, said he has never been fired, has never even been reprimanded for making inappropriate comments, and co–workers describe him as a model employee.

At a group safety meeting Wednesday, however, Hendeley singled out supervisors and a Hispanic worker for smoking in inappropriate places. Smoking is only allowed in a designated area across the road from the plant.

"I guess if you're a supervisor or a Mexican, you can smoke anywhere you like," Hendeley reportedly told an Hispanic safety supervisor.

Several days earlier, a Caucasian worker was suspended by a Hispanic supervisor for smoking in the parking lot of the plant, said Jeff Kokemiller, a Fagen employee.

Following the suspension, Hendeley and his co–workers said they observed supervisors and a Hispanic woman smoking in trailers near the plant.

Hendeley said he simply was pointing out discrepancies in policy enforcement.

After the safety meeting, Hendeley was called to a private meeting with the safety supervisor and two other managers to discuss his comments, and was fired shortly after, he said.

"We don't support discrimination on our job site," said Chad Warner, Fagen project supervisor. Warner declined to comment on the case further.

Hendeley asked the safety supervisor if calling someone from Mexico a Mexican offends him. The supervisor answered "yes," according to Hendeley.

Iowa is a right–to–work state, which means as long as a company is not in violation of civil rights laws, employers can terminate employment at anytime, for any reason, unless the employee is covered by a union contract. Hendeley is not a member of a union.

"You can be fired today because you come in and your hair is purple," said Kerry Koonce, an communications director with Iowa Workforce Development.

Hendeley said he's not angered by the firing but simply baffled. He said he can find work elsewhere.

"There are several other words you could use that would be slander, but I didn't use those," Hendeley said. "It's like calling someone from Italy an Italian. Where does it stop?"

The issue may not have been his choice of words, but his decision to single out a group of people, according to Ann Jones, a socio–cultural professor at Iowa State University.

"It is very much a perceptual thing ... there are many ways of offending people," Jones said.

Jones said all employers should have policies regarding discrimination in place, educate workers about those policies upon hire, have periodic reminders about what is not acceptable and allow workers to appeal disciplinary actions.

Hendeley said company policy requires employees be given both verbal and written warnings about offensive behavior before being terminated. He feels cheated by his employer's decision to forgo that process.

Officials at the business' central office did not return messages for comment.

Better not call these people MEXICANS!!!!

Blaze_of_Fire said: I know how everybody feels. As far as the Union goes - at least you have protection from nonsense like this. The black people have the NAACP (Another one to add to my list of garbage that needs to be taken out!) The Spics got La Raza, the Muslims have CAIR! Every little whiner group out there has someone to bully the government and makes the rules for them. Which ultimately discriminates against us! I am sick of it! Who in the hell have the white people and Native Americans got? Nobody.  I am sick and tired of the discrimination! I serve my country and go into battle for this? Please someone tell me this is all a bad dream and I will awaken from it!Many of us already know the worst has yet to come. The bible predicts these very things happening. And it gets worse everyday. However, I will not go down without a FIGHT!  

Blaze_of_ fire.   Sorry to say that you are going a little to far brother.  I have never and would never use such a degrading name as "spic",  don't mind if you use Mexican.  I would never degraded any race by referring to them with any kind of hate words.  I couldn't agree more with any other comments that you made.  I believe that this country is to PC but hate words are another matter.

I think I'll send an email to Fagen Inc. just to see what response I will get!

Blaze_of_Fire said: I know how everybody feels. As far as the Union goes - at least you have protection from nonsense like this. The black people have the NAACP (Another one to add to my list of garbage that needs to be taken out!) The Spics got La Raza, the Muslims have CAIR! Every little whiner group out there has someone to bully the government and makes the rules for them. Which ultimately discriminates against us! I am sick of it! Who in the hell have the white people and Native Americans got? Nobody.  I am sick and tired of the discrimination! I serve my country and go into battle for this? Please someone tell me this is all a bad dream and I will awaken from it!Many of us already know the worst has yet to come. The bible predicts these very things happening. And it gets worse everyday. However, I will not go down without a FIGHT!  

Perhaps whites and Natives should start their very own groups to protect us both from "reverse racism" because this is EXACTLY what it is.  Of course, white people have the KKK, but they're considered a "racist" group.  I hate to put another nail in Bush's coffin, but a lot of white people are beginning to move towards the KKK again.  Gee, I wonder why?

Blackheart...Actually a friend of mine was kicked out of a University here in California for attempting to start a "White Student Body Association". The University had a Black Student Body, an Asian Student Body, a Latino Student Body. He was trying to make a point.....and he got kicked out. Here is a point: whenever a white appears to be proud of his race, whenever a white speaks up about special privileges offered other racial groups, whenever a white asks to be treated EQUALLY with other races, THAT WHITE is called a racist. Now the KKK are not the answer (I know and have known many KKK and Skinheads), I know where they go horribly wrong. In the pc America where we both live, any group formed by whites to aid and assist whites will be labelled a racist organization. Hey, minutemen are "racist vigilantees", right.  Personally I have just come to revel in what I am. At work I have been called a "gun toting, NRA card carrying, poor white trash redneck" and I retort "you forgot the Bible thumping, racist-vigilante, cracker."  We are not allowed our group, that is  PC today. 

What troubles me about this thread is this: the list of un-pc words that I can not use is growing faster than I can amend my list. No calling Mexicans- a Mexican. I have to worry about tone of voice when I use a descriptive term ? Does it matter if I clear my throat first before I speak or will I be accused of being discriminatory no matter what word or lilt of voice I use (simply because I am white)? So being PC only works IF you are not ME and are accusing ME?

So, what exactly are they? It's like the article said. My ancestors came from Italy. That makes me Italian descent. If you're from Nicaragua, you're Nicaraguan.

I always assumed if you were from Mexico, you were Mexican. When did it suddenly become an insult? Are they ashamed of their country?

Seriously, I don't get it.

It is easy. Bill Hendeley called the supervisor on the smoking issue in a meeting. To a Machismo Mexican this was an insult to his pride. The only way to defend his honor was to fire Hendeley. The use of the "racist' language and being "offended" is the simplist way to get through the paperwork and have Hendeley out the door. Was the supervisor really offended by being called a Mexican, No. The use and abuse of this pc crap will continue and become more widely used as the "excuse de jour". It can not be rebutted whether it was offensive or not (offensive to one person, not to another, offensive in one instance and not in another). 

 Just call me white (Scots-Irish /English/ German/ Norwegian / Finnish is too verbose). Better yet just call me AMERICAN since my race should not be important in this country in 2007 !

American since 1648.

Makes sense to me, Sparks. My father and mother were the first in their families born in America. So, American since 1913 or 1915 - whichever.

Second generation American here.

Here is a link to the contact form for Fagen..the man's former employer..e-mail them and let them know what you think.....

http://www.fageninc.com/contact/contact_form.html