California baseball fans know that umpires often endure angry protests over their calls, but now a Major League Baseball umpire has filed suit against the league for racial discrimination. According to his court filings, the 55-year-old Hispanic man asserts that the league has declined to give him a position umping for the World Series since 2005. Additionally, the league has not offered him a permanent position as a crew chief, instead choosing to designate him as a temporary chief.
His suit cites high marks on his work evaluations until 2011 when a former team manager ascended to the position of chief baseball officer. The umpire and new officer had an acrimonious history. While still a team manager, the baseball officer had complained publicly about calls made by the umpire. The lawsuit states that the man also insulted the plaintiff’s ability to umpire games.
The complaint goes on to describe a pattern of racial discrimination at the league. Since 2011, all umpires at the World Series have been white except for one. Currently employed MLB umpires are nearly 90 percent white. Because the plaintiff was not promoted to positions to which he was qualified even after repeated applications, the lawsuit alleges that the league chooses to promote white people with fewer qualifications.
When a person sees a pattern of race discrimination on the job, an attorney might provide insights about how to take action to protect rights to equal treatment. An attorney could seek damages such as back pay by filing a lawsuit against the employer. Evidence such as work reviews, payroll records, company demographics and witness testimony could be organized by an attorney and presented in court.