Discrimination lawsuit against DeKalb County to go to trial

<p>A federal appeals court has ruled that a race discrimination lawsuit against top officials in DeKalb County can go to trial.</p><p>U.S. District Court Judge William Duffey ruled Nov. 21 that a jury will decide if two current and two former county employees' claims that they were treated with hostility and were forced to resign or were wrongfully terminated. The two-year-old suit alleges that DeKalb officials replaced white employees with black ones to create a "darker administration" that better reflects the county's racial makeup.</p><p>The suit was filed by three whites _ Becky Kelley, Michael Bryant and John Drake _ and one black, Herbert Lowe, who says he was fired because he would not discriminate against white managers.</p><p>Officials with the DeKalb County parks department deny the claim.</p><p>According to Duffey's ruling, the environment at the department could be perceived by a jury as "pervasively and discriminatorily hostile and abusive."</p><p>The suit was filed against DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones, parks director Marilyn Boyd and assistant administrator Morris Williams. The judge dismissed Joe Stone, DeKalb's human resources director, from the suit.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cda774)</p>