- Zita Wilensky loves to help people. In fact she is a
foster mother to kids with special needs.
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- Zita Wilensky, a victim of discrimination, says "Right
now we have a little boy. We are in the process of adopting and he is learning
delayed, but he is coming along great."
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- Professionally, Zita is not doing so well. She says,
"I really do feel I was discriminated against and if I didn't I wouldn't
be telling you."
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- Zita worked for Miami-Dade County for 16 years. The last
two in the Domestic Violence Unit.
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- Her file is full of letters of praise, but she began
to encounter one major problem.
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- She says, "I was referred to as the gringa, the
Americana. Did they mean it in a polite way or a deragatory way? In some
ways at times it was joking. But then it was like every single day and
you know what? I have a name."
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- Zita was the only Anglo in the County Unit. All of her
co-workers were Hispanic and she says they liked to play tricks on her.
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- She says, "My boss presented me with an envelope
one day when the anthrax was going around and told me "come here could
you smell this? This just came in the mail." Big joke in front of
the whole department. Made me look like an idiot."
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- Then Zita was told she had to speak Spanish in the office.
She was given 60 days to learn. After 30 days her boss disguised her voice
and called her.
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- Zita says, "So she called pretending to be someone
who didn't speak English. And when you could not communicate she fired
you? Yes...that's how it happened."
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- According to a county document, Zita was fired for transferring
the call to the clerk's office. Zita said she transferred it because she
wanted what she thought was a Spanish speaking caller to talk to someone.
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- Either way, despite her protests, after 16 years with
the county, Zita was fired and replaced by an Hispanic.
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- Now her question: can an Anglo be fired for not speaking
Spanish on the job?
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- Howard Finkelstein, 7News Legal Expert, says "The
Florida Constituion says that English is the official language of the government.
So you can't fire someone simply because they don't speak Spanish and you
can't fire them simply because they are Anglo. That's discrimination. That's
illegal."
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- Howard says you cannot be discrimated against based upon
national origin, religion, sex, and race. Such as blacks, whites, hispanics,
asians, and on and on.
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- and howard says that includes the treatment employees
like zita receive on the job.
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- "An employer cannot allow an employee to be subjected
to racial slurs like gringo, or to be ridiculed or intimidated...thats
called a hostile work enviroment and thats illegal."
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- Zita would like to go back to work for Miami-Dade County,
not in the same office, but in a place where no kind of discrimination
is tolerated.
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- When we talked to a county official, we were told Zita
was fired because she transferred calls improperly.
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- They also deny she was fired because she was an anglo
and she was not required to speak Spanish.
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- Her boss just requested that she learn Spanish. But contradicting
that, this letter from her boss says its a necessity that she speaks Spanish.
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- Howard says if Zita sues the county, she has an excellant
chance of winning.
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- Zita says right now she simply wants to find a job.
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- Problems don't discriminate - so race to the phone. We'll
have an answer clear in any language.
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- http://www.wsvn.com/extra/helpmehoward/a
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