How's this for irony? According to TMZ, the lawsuit filed by former Paula Deen employee Lisa Jackson against the TV personality alleging discrimination and degredation in the workplace—AKA, the case that ruined Deen's whole career—has been thrown out by a judge, because Jackson is white.
Really, the whole thing is confusing. Jackson filed the lawsuit against Deen alleging that Deen was abusing her power. Then, during a deposition conducted back in May, Deen admitted to using the n-word, stating "of course" when she was asked if she'd ever said it. The transcript of the deposition leaked online, and since then, more damning evidence—including Deen describing her perfect Southern wedding as including black waiters and waitresses dressed as slaves—began to make its way online, and, as a result, Deen lost a good chunk of her lucrative business deals including her Food Network show.
It seems plausible that Jackson could file a suit against Deen claiming that the TV personality was discriminatory towards her employees, especially with all the evidence that came out afterwards—but a judge reportedly ruled that all of Deen's comments had no legal consequence towards Jackson because Jackson is white. Specifically, the judge said that Jackson filing the lawsuit in the name of other people "would serve to conscript federal courts as human resource departments that are responsible for imposing and monitoring a federally created standard for harmony in the workplace."
The case is still going on because Jackson is also claiming that Deen's brother, Bubba Hiers, made sexually inappropriate comments to her, and often watched adult films in his office. But, the section of the case that deals with Deen seems to be over for good. Just like Deen's career.
[via TMZ]
