Attend Sheriff Discrimination Trial, Support Officer Yasin

CAIR-Chicago is representing Officer Abraham Yasin in an employment discrimination case. Yasin was harassed by fellow officers in incidents spanning over a year, and is seeking justice for the violation of his rights. PLEASE SUPPORT OFFICER YASIN BY ATTENDING THE TRIAL:

WHEN: Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 9:00 a.m.

WHERE: Courtroom of Judge Amy St. Eve, Room 1241, Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn (at Jackson & Dearborn), Chicago, IL 60604

DETAILS: CAIR-Chicago began litigation on behalf of Officer Abraham Yasin in 2007, after he had been experiencing harassment by other correctional officers starting in December 2004. Cook County officers continuously and anonymously targeted Yasin with racist slurs such as “terrorist,” “Hussein,” “sand ni**er,” “bin Laden,” “shoe bomber,” and “camel jockey.” Yasin testified that his co-workers made calls over the radio and telephone about his ancestry and national origin as many as ten times a day, and at least a hundred times for over a one-year period.

Despite repeatedly reporting the incidents, multiple supervisors and the Internal Affairs Division failed to take adequate corrective action.

“No individual should suffer harassment at work based on race,” said CAIR-Chicago Staff Attorney Kevin Vodak. “It is particularly egregious that the officers entrusted to uphold the law failed to take action to stop the discrimination.”

In an opinion issued in May, Judge St. Eve noted, “Yasin has presented evidence creating an issue of fact for trial that a reasonable person would find the alleged harassment pervasive or severe enough to create a hostile and abusive work environment.”

Cook County is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County.