Week of January 31, 2008

for lastest update click on East End Report

News and Events for Peace and Justice on Eastern Long Island

click on the links below:

Brookhaven Lab Racial Bias Suit Settled


"The Independent" - deja vu, etc.


New York Verified Voting Alert


Peace & Justice Calendar

Suffolk Peace Vigils

WPKN/WPKM East End Programs for download updated Jan 25

Links: Recommended Reading : Israeli and Palestinian Peace Groups Rally for Gaza, Long Island Immigration Blog, Between the Lines, etc , AFSC Iraq Video on YouTube

US Fatalities in Iraq


Counter Recruiting Schedule

Alternative Media


Democracy Now!

Non-corporate news hour with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez:
on Riverhead/Southampton/Southold/Shelter Island Channel 20:

New Schedule Starting Monday October 1:

Monday 6:30 am
Tuesday 11 pm
Wednesday 7 pm
Thursday 6 pm
Friday 9 pm
Saturday - 9 pm

Also on WUSB 90.1 FM 5pm Mon-Friday and East Hampton LTV Ch 20

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For more Information on Peace Activism on LI

see North Fork People of Conscience at www.nfpofc.blogspot.com

see Suffolk Progressive Vision at www.spv.active.ws

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The East End Report is compiled by Tony Ernst.

Send corrections or comments to eastendreport@yahoo.com

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Brookhaven National Lab Racial Bias Suit Settled

A racial discrimination suit brought by an African-American employee of Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton was settled last week after a trial held at Federal Court in Islip.

Malry Tardd of Quogue sued Brookhaven Science Associates who operate the Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mr. Tardd's complaint says management intentionally discriminated against him because of his race and the complaint says the Laboratory did nothing to prevent racially motivated attacks.

Previously Mr. Tardd filed a complaint of racial discrimination in hiring and promoting practices with the New York State Division of Human Rights.

After a settlement was reached with the Lab in 2001, Tardd says he experienced retaliatory attacks by fellow workers. Photos submitted as evidence showed a hangman's noose hung over Tardd's office door and a hat with the label "K K K" worn by fellow employees.

Tardd alleged that the Lab failed to investigate these and other incidents and that his supervisors along with the Laboratory's middle and top management who were co-defendants conspired to keep him from advancing.

Otto White, a black scientist and former Lab employee, who supported Tardd in his dispute with the Lab's management is also suing Brookhaven in a separate case.

Mr. Tardd's case went to a jury trial at Federal Court in Islip early this month.

Last week the case was 'settled to everyone's satisfaction' according to Tardd's attorney, Frederick Brewington. A public affairs spokesperson at Brookhaven Lab agreed but had no comment. Apparently the terms of the agreement preclude a statement from either side.

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From a report filed for WPKN/WPKM News.
WPKN news is heard Monday-Friday at 6:30 pm following Free Speech Radio News at 88.7 Montauk and 89.5 Bridgeport.

"The Independent" - deja vu, etc.

UPDATED February 14

At last Friday's "Community Forum" in Bridgehampton, East End Independent newspaper owner Jerry Della Femina appeared to hear east enders including Shinnecock Tribal Trustees Randy King and Lance Gumbs, East Hampton Supervisor Bill McGintee and actor Alec Baldwin call for the firing of Independent Editor Rick Murphy.

A total of more than fifty people attended the meeting at the Hayground School on Mitchell Lane. There were no supporters of Mr. Murhpy's continuance as editor. There was some disagreement on how to persuade Mr. Della Femina to act. Some urged a campaign to get advertisers to withdraw.

For his part Mr. Della Femina stated that he would not fire Murphy, even though his wife, his daughter and a partner would be very happy if he did.
He promised that there would be 'a new Independent'. He will review each of Mr. Murphy's columns before they are published. He offered the group that organized the forum space in the newspaper to present their views.

When it was mentioned that Mr. Murphy's columns had met with criticism and protests in the past, Della Femina stated that it was news to him.
Apparently his memory is failing him. See below on protests in 2003 and 2004.
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For those who have not noticed, Rick Murphy, the editor of a weekly newspaper on the east end and its owner, advertising exec Jerry Della Femina had to apologize this week for Murphy's incredibly sexist and racist columns aptly called, 'Low Tidings'. The columns featured caricatures of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and derogatory language.

Mr. Della Femina says it won't happen again. He won't fire Mr. Murphy but he will review his column each week. Does all this sound familiar?


from the April 8, 2004 East End Report
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East End Independent Draws Ire of Shinnecocks and Non-Natives

Last fall a group of east enders visited the East Hampton/Southampton Independent newspaper office to complain about racist and insensitive language by the newspaper’s editor Rick Murphy. The protesters were branded “nitwits” by Independent owner Jerry Della Femina.

Last week’s Independent reported in their April Fools edition on a fictitious Fred Thiele survey which found that "95% of the people on earth hate Shinnecock Indians and want them to go away"

This attempt at humor prompted another protest Tuesday morning at the Independent’s office. The protesters included members of East End Women in Black, Eastern Long Island NAACP and the Southampton Anti-Bias Task Force along with Shinnecock tribal members.

They stood in silent witness with signs. One Shinnecock woman asked to speak with Independent Editor Rick Murphy. Apparently, Mr. Murphy did not wish to speak to Rebecca Genia, but was persuaded by a East Hampton Police officer to do so. The police had been called by the newspaper staff.

Tribal member Reverend Holly Haile Davis says “We listened as he refused to understand who she was and what she was doing there, assuming her to be just another nit-wit he'd encountered last fall”. Ms. Genia demanded that Mr. Murphy resign. Mr. Murphy declined.