Monday, December 21, 2015

In Case You Missed It Former CDIA Manager Sues The City Of Charlotte

Given the holiday rush and the Charlotte Observer's lagging on line presence you might have missed this. It doesn't help that local Main Stream broadcast media stays away from race issues.

We learned recently that Herbert Judon exited his long term role at CDIA. Many with knowledge of CDIA operations knew Jurdon as Jerry Orr's "yes man" and that he had a key role in the break away effort led by Orr against the city of Charlotte.

The Oberver Story via Eli Portillo is below.


A prominent Charlotte Douglas International Airport administrator has sued the city in federal court for racial discrimination, alleging he was passed over for promotion in favor of white employees with less experience.

Assistant Aviation Director Herbert Judon, who is black, filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court. It’s the latest challenge for an airport that lost its longtime director in 2013 amid a power struggle between city leaders and state lawmakers in Raleigh.

Judon is often the face of Charlotte Douglas, representing the airport at news conferences and public events. Before Thanksgiving, he led the airport’s news conference on preparations for holiday travel

In a statement, City Attorney Bob Hagemann declined to comment on the allegations but said the lawsuit “will have no effect on the City’s treatment of Mr. Judon as an employee.”

In the lawsuit, Judon says he has 19 years of experience working at Charlotte Douglas, in a variety of different roles. He also served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and was awarded a Bronze Star during the most recent Iraq War.

In July 2013, when former Aviation Director Jerry Orr left (Orr and the city never agreed whether he resigned or was fired), Charlotte City Manager Ron Carlee appointed Brent Cagle as interim aviation director.

At the time, Cagle and Judon were both assistant aviation directors, and Cagle had been at Charlotte Douglas for a little over a year. 

“(Judon) was the only minority employee who held an assistant aviation director position,” the lawsuit said. 

According to the lawsuit, Cagle created a new deputy aviation director position, which the assistant aviation directors would now report to instead of reporting to the aviation director. Cagle named Jack Christine, another assistant aviation director, to the deputy post. 

Cagle left a second deputy aviation director post unfilled so that he could “revert back” to that job if he was removed from his job as interim aviation director, the lawsuit said. Cagle remains interim aviation director, and no permanent director has been announced. 

Both Cagle and Christine are white and, according to the lawsuit, “close personal friends outside of the work setting.” Christine had worked at Charlotte Douglas for 16 years but, according to the lawsuit, “Mr. Christine’s overall background and work experience was decidedly less stellar than was (Judon’s).” Christine had managed “less demanding” departments with fewer personnel and smaller budgets, the lawsuit said. 

Judon complained about the deputy aviation director job being filled without a competitive process or search for candidates, contacting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Charlotte. When Christine’s position was made permanent in 2014, Judon filed a charge with the EEOC. The EEOC dismissed his charge and gave him the right to sue in August.

Judon is seeking to be named a deputy aviation director at Charlotte Douglas, with back pay dating to July 2013. 

The leadership turnover at the airport goes back to a complicated fight for control of Charlotte Douglas. When Orr left in 2013, the city and state legislature were embroiled in a protracted battle in which the General Assembly was trying to take control of the airport from the Charlotte City Council and place it with a regional authority. 

The city has opposed the move for years, and though the new airport commission was created, it remains in limbo, with no power to operate the airport. Orr had supported an independent authority to run Charlotte Douglas.

Ely Portillo: 704-358-5041@ESPortillo


Cedar's Take: The Race Card not a surprise really. But the rest of us would have simply bowed out gracefully, licked our wounds and moved on. The privilege of color allows Mr. Judon to file a lawsuit in federal court with nearly 100% chance of a hefty payout. Mr. Judon's case without color lacks merit. 

My first job I worked really hard all summer long in the Charlotte heat and humidity loading grocery bags at HarrisTeeter. The carrot and stick of sweating it out all summer long was a promotion to cashier. When South Meck started the fall semester I was told I'd earn that promised a promotion. Except the manager hired his nephew also a South Meck Senior as cashier which left me still a bag boy. 

That was my exit clue, inside a week I had secured a part time job at Raintree Country Club that not only gave me a pay raise but also gave me the flexiablity to date of Friday night's, play golf for free and get into all sorts mischief. Plus I made more money working less hours, learned more than I ever could have punching keys on a register and thanking little old ladies for nickel tips.




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is great! Half the white males at CMPD should attach to the suit and make it a class action against the city!

Anonymous said...

I find it funny how this is the same clown who created positions for BJ Johnson (and her baby daddy) Tracy Miller based on the same "good ol boy system" that he is now protesting against. I might also add, these positions were based solely on their friendship and of course skin color. How many white employees could do either job 10x better than either of these 2 misfits? How's it feel Herbert? Sucks doesn't it? Go tweak your nipples somewhere and try to forget this awful injustice.