Bane Strikes Back
It has been almost 3 months since the Richmond Civil Rights Commission announced to the public that is was investigating a local employment placement firm, Bane Specialty Service, Inc., and its principal, David Bane, for engaging in racially discriminatory activities. The original Pal-Item Article: Report: Firm did racial profiling. At the time, I questioned the public announcement of the investigation, as the impact on the firm and owner would be immediate, but the opportunity for vindication would have to wait for this “investigation” to be completed and charges to be levied.
Mr. Bane and his firm, after suffering for months under the cloud of pending allegations, have struck back. The Pal-Item reports today that Mr. Bane and his firm have sued the Commission and its members for defamation in the Montgomery County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas. The article can be found here: Businessman Sues City for Defamation. The Pal-Item’s new format adjustments permit people to comment directly on online articles, so be sure to check out the bubbling discussion on the controversy on the “Story Chat.”
The Pal-Item, in another adjustment to the online world, posted the PDF scan of the complaint. you can find it here. It appears to have been filed back on August 23, 2006.
I am curious, from a legal perspective, about the choice of suing an Indiana City in the State of Ohio. The lawsuit claims that the commission sent a letter making claims of racial discrimination to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission in Montgomery County, and this might give the Ohio court jurisdiction. However, most of the injury to Bane came from the initial public disclosure of the ongoing investigation, which occurred in Richmond.
