It’s little consolation now, but the racial discrimination claim in the lawsuit by Lisa Jackson that torpedoed Paula Deen’s career has been thrown out.
A judge just ruled in Paula’s favor after Deen claimed Jackson had no right to claim racial discrimination … basically because she is also white.
Any racial slurs made by Deen or comments that she and her cohorts may or may not have made have no legal consequence to her, the judge decided.
Jackson also made the tenuous argument that someone in her family is bi-racial, which Paula disputes. The judge said even so, she was an “accidental victim.”
The lawsuit as a whole is still in effect, because Jackson also claims sexual discrimination, and that part can’t be dismissed on quite the same grounds.
However, it’s extremely ironic that Paula’s career took a HUGE hit because of a leaked deposition she gave following a bogus claim of racial discrimination.
Is she perfect? Absolutely not. Is the fact that she, by her own admission, used racial slurs in the past enough to change people’s opinions of her? Clearly.
Still, her supporters will surely argue that damage that has been done feels disproportionate when compared to the actual impact of her actions.
Especially now that at least part of the lawsuit was unfounded.
The Food Network and other business partners dropped her after she acknowledged using racial slurs in the past during questioning by Jackson’s lawyers.
Deen denies all of Jackson’s allegations of discrimination, which she alleges she experienced during the five years she worked at Paula’s restaurant.
All we can do is stay tuned to what happens next.