The Philadelphia School District will have to pony up $2.3 million to the firm Security & Data Technologies Inc. (SDT), a federal jury decided on Monday.
The jury determined the district racially discriminated against the (white-owned) SDT by “deselecting” it from a 2010 security camera contract.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, former (and late) Superintendent Arlene Ackerman allegedly had said at a meeting that she “was sick of the district’s giving work to contractors” who “did not look like her,” and wanted to see that “all these white boys didn’t get contracts.”
She had asked why “a black firm [couldn’t] get it” (the camera contract), and then ordered the job be given to the minority-owned company IBS.
This is the second case of four the district has lost relating to the SDT contract matter, all originating from a 2010 Inquirer report. Superintendent Ackerman resigned in 2011 and then passed away in 2013.
“My client has been struggling with this fact of being rejected for a contract because of race for nearly six years,” said attorney Michael Homans, who represented SDT with Melissa Kay Hazell. “It’s been a long, hard journey. Justice was served.”
District spokesman Fernando Gallard said Monday night, “We are extremely disappointed with the outcome.”
Jesse C. Klaproth, who represented the School District and Ackerman’s estate at trial, said he and his clients “plan on exploring our appellate options.”
The eight-member panel – consisting almost entirely of white jurors – took four hours to reach a decision following a weeklong trial.
MORE: Philadelphia leaders want socialism taught in schools
The jury found that the School Reform Commission, which was also sued by SDT, was not motivated by race when it awarded the contract to IBS.
“This case arises from an episode of blatant, admitted race discrimination” by Ackerman, the SRC and the district in awarding a public contract, SDT said in court filings.
[SDT] had sought $2.1 million in lost profits, and compensatory and punitive damages.
At the time the contract was awarded to IBS, the district was exceeding its goal of 20 percent participation of minority firms in its contracts. But administrators said that then-SRC Chairman Robert Archie and other commission members repeatedly called for awarding more contracts to companies owned by minorities and women.
In March, the School Reform Commission had voted to give Francis X. Dougherty a $725,000 settlement. He claimed he was fired in retaliation for speaking to the Inquirer and government officials about the contract situation.
MORE: Philly conference: Being on time, giving grades are ‘white supremacy’
MORE: Death threats against Philly student who criticized race protests
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter
IMAGE: Shutterstock
Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Gab, Minds and Gettr.