Sometimes I despair for my people's intelligence
How can a Black person work for the Republican Party and not expect to be the gatekeeper for Black folks?
Ex-worker sues RNC for discrimination
By Emily Fredrix, Associated Press Writer | August 23, 2004
WASHINGTON --A former field director is accusing the Florida Republican Party of racial discrimination in a federal lawsuit.
Nadia Naffe also named the Republican National Committee and Bush-Cheney '04 in the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in Tampa.
Naffe says she was fired from her job, which she held from August 2003 to April of this year, after she complained about being assigned to work with black organizations, events and issues. Naffe, 25, of Tampa, was the only black field director at the time. She said she was told, "You understand your people."
After refusing the assignments, Naffe said she was called insubordinate and "not a team player." The lawsuit says she contacted the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and was soon after fired.
A message seeking comment from the Florida Republican Party was not immediately returned. Christine Iverson, a spokeswoman for the RNC, said Naffe has never been an employee of the committee.
"Instead of true conservatism, she found herself faced with discrimination and intolerance. And instead of compassion, she found retaliation," said one of Naffe's lawyers, Cyrus Mehri of Washington.
