Discrimination Suit Against Radio One/Houston Moves Forward

Defendant

A judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of TEXAS has ruled that the discrimination case filed by two Account Executives against RADIO ONE OF TEXAS II, LLC will proceed, granting RADIO ONE's motion for summary judgment for one count but denying the motion on other counts.

Former Sr. AE VINCE SCUDIERO, a Caucasian, alleged reverse racial discrimination and retaliation, while CHRISTEL THORNTON, an African-American, alleged racial discrimination and retaliation and tortious interference with her subsequent contract with CBS RADIO.  Judge MELINDA HARMON ruled that while THORNTON's contract claim fails due to a valid and enforceable noncompete clause in her RADIO ONE contract and summary judgment for that count could be granted, all other claims will move forward.

SCUDIERO and THORNTON sued in APRIL 2012, SCUDIERO alleging "serious discrimination issues" from Sales Manager JOEL CLARY and was fired in JULY 2009 despite exceeding sales goals -- the EEOC issued a determination that the company had discriminated and retaliated against SCUDIERO -- and THORNTON alleged that CLARY made comments of a racial nature about SCUDIERO and when THORNTON complained, CLARY retaliated against her and made remarks about her "dating a white boy."

THORNTON was also suspended for allowing SCUDIERO into the building -- she said he only dropped her off after lunch in a public area, the parking garage, and he never entered the actual building -- and for printing the master client list, which she said she routinely did and was available to all AEs.  She was subsequently fired and when she obtained work at the crosstown CBS cluster, RADIO ONE exercised its noncompete and she was fired by CBS.

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