By Ericka M. Smith
Daily Staff Reporter
University counsel responded yesterday to allegations of racism against three former Dental School staff members during the second day of a suit against the University.
At the Washtenaw County Court, University attorney Tim Howlett contended that black employees Dawn Mitchell, Theresa Atkins and Delano Isabelle had not been victims of discrimination at the Dental School.
"Discrimination is a very serious charge, and we take that charge very seriously," Howlett said in his opening statement before Washtenaw County District Court Judge Donald Shelton.
On Monday, the plaintiff's attorney, George Washington, claimed the Dental School had a racist atmosphere when the three employees worked there. For example, Washington said employees and supervisors freely used the words "you people" when referring to black people.
Yesterday, Howlett denied that the words "you people" were used by Dental School supervisor Linda Vachon, but said that other employees who had worked with the three plaintiffs may have used those words.
"Nobody's going to say that term should have been used," Howlett said.
The University attorney also said the workers were not fired, but instead "suspended" for time card forgery, responding to Monday's assertions that the three employees had been unjustly fired.
After Howlett concluded his opening statement, three University employees and witnesses for the plaintiffs took the stand - Mitchell and University Hospitals employees Rodney Harris and Nada Eastman.
Mitchell said she began working at the University in 1980, first as a campus custodian for 10 years and then at University Hospitals for three years before being "riffed out" by cutbacks in the department. She was then moved to the Dental School.
When Washington asked about her feelings about the white employees and supervisors at the Dental School, Mitchell said they "disrespected" her.
"I thought I was disrespected. We were called 'you people'- a term most black people find offensive," Mitchell said. "I view it as a term similar to 'you niggers' because it singles you out."
Mitchell said she approached Vachon about alleged racist incidents with other employees, but Vachon did not want to discuss the matter.
"I told her that those issues could not be swept up under the carpet," Mitchell said.
During cross examination, Howlett questioned a very emotional Mitchell, according to Ann Arbor resident Terry Seixas.
"It's been very tense," Seixas said. "Dawn Mitchell broke down several times during her testimony."
Rodney Harris, University Hospitals employee and chief union steward, testified on behalf of the three workers.
He said the union had supported the December 1994 suspension of the three employees, who had allegedly forged time cards, as long as they would have been allowed to return to jobs at the University.
Nada Eastman, a former University Hospitals employee and a union steward, testified that Isabelle asked her to document discrimination complaints at the Dental School.
Eastman said Isabelle told her "we aren't being treated like everyone else."
After taking the report, Eastman said she met with Vichon and a manager at the Dental School. Eastman said she left the meeting with the expectation that the issue would be resolved.
"I thought that with the knowledge of the situation and it being addressed, there would be a change," Eastman said.
Howlett then questioned Eastman's involvement in the case and asserted that parts of her testimony were invalid. He said that Eastman's job as a steward was to respond to complaints by hospital workers - not to document the complaints of Dental School workers.
Shelton overruled both Howlett's objections.
The trial adjourned at 12:30 p.m. and will resume tomorrow at 8 a.m. in Washtenaw County Court.