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A US appeals court revived a lawsuit accusing Whole Foods of illegally firing a worker who refused to remove her Black Lives Matter facemask and complained about racism at the upscale grocery chain.

In a 3-0 decision released on Wednesday, the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals said the firing of Savannah Kinzer, an outspoken critic who worked in a Cambridge, Mass., store, arguably deviated from Whole Foods disciplinary process.

The Boston-based panel also upheld the dismissal of similar claims by two other workers, Haley Evans and Christopher Michno, finding no proof that Whole Foods discipline of them was unusual. Whole Foods is owned by Amazon.

Neither Whole Foods nor its lawyers immediately responded to requests for comment. A lawyer for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to similar requests.

The lawsuit is one of many arising from protests that followed the May 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

It began as aproposed class actionover a Whole Foods dress code that barred workers from wearing Black Lives Matter attire.

Whole Foods has long maintained that its dress code, which also covered visible slogans, logos and ads, was meant to foster a welcoming, safe and inclusive shopping environment. The appeals courtdismissedthe class action claims in 2022.

Kinzer said she was fired in retaliation for protected conduct including protesting outside her store, rejecting demands to stop wearing a mask, talking to the press, and filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Whole Foods said Kinzers poor attendance, including attendance points for wearing a mask, justified her firing.

Circuit Judge Kermit Lipez, however, said it was unclear whether Whole Foods imposed a final, decisive attendance point against Kinzer through a normal application of its time and attendance policy, or because of her protected conduct.

It is the province of a jury to decide such a dispute, he wrote.

The appeals court returned Kinzers case to US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston, who dismissed all of the plaintiffs claims in January 2023.

Whole Foods employed Evans in Marlton, NJ, and Michno in Berkeley, Calif.

The case is Kinzer et al v Whole Foods Market Inc, 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Nos. 22-1064, 23-1100.

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Court revives fired Whole Foods worker's lawsuit over Black Lives Matter masks - New York Post

Source: Andrew Burton / Getty

Black Lives Matter protests in cities with Black women police chiefs experienced significantly lower levels of violence from both police and protesters than cities with police chiefs of other racial backgrounds and gender, according to our newly published paper.

After George Floyds death at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement surged. Advocating for social justice, the movement galvanized over 11,000 protest events across thousands of cities in all 50 states. Most demonstrations were peaceful, but others were not, and city police chiefs had the job of dealing with street violence. In some communities, they engaged in dialogue with protesters; in others, they responded with force.

Our research included analyzing 11,540 protests that occurred between May 25 and Aug. 29, 2020, in 3,338 cities, spanning 1,481 counties and all 50 states. To ensure robustness and eliminate bias, we measured violence based on an independent categorization of violence, protest event descriptions, numbers of arrests and severity of the charges. We also researched the gender and racial background of the local police chief.

Our analysis, published in the Journal of Management, found that protests in cities with police departments led by Black women tended to be relatively peaceful.

Consider, for instance, Black female Chief Catrina Thompson in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who chose dialogue over force. She conveyed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter cause and affirmed that peaceful protests could spur change without destroying the city.

By contrast, a protest in Lincoln, Nebraska, in late May 2020 saw a group of protesters break store windows and threaten police officers, which resulted in police officers in a department led by white male Chief Jeff Bliemeister firing pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets.

This and other research has found that through their personal and professional experience as they rise through the ranks of a traditionally male, white profession, Black women tend to develop a strong understanding of racial dynamics and use their knowledge to devise flexible strategies.

Of course, not all Black women lead in exactly the same ways, but they tend to share similar experiences that can help foster peaceful outcomes in times of social unrest.

Amid a backdrop of widespread protests and calls for social justice, public safety depends on peaceful interactions between police and demonstrators.

The study highlights the significance of having diverse leadership voices and the importance of recognizing and elevating individual identities. Despite a rise in the appointment of Black police chiefs over the past decade, Black women continue to be underrepresented in law enforcement leadership positions. This research highlights the value to society of including diverse perspectives and leadership approaches informed by the intersections of peoples identities.

Despite these insights, several questions remain unanswered. We do not yet know the specific way in which the leadership of Black women police chiefs translates into lower violence levels. We suggest the mechanism is a complex result of their communication strategies, community engagement practices and decision-making processes but we do not know which has the most influence.

Our study also raises questions about how these findings about Black women at a time of Black protest might be applied to other civic leaders handling of demonstrations from different types of social movements.

The study paves the way for more in-depth research into how intersecting identities such as gender and race affect leadership approaches and outcomes across various professions, not just law enforcement.

Ongoing research efforts our own and others are directed at better understanding how peoples identities inform their leadership styles and how they handle conflict. Future studies are also needed to explore how organizations and communities can better support Black women and promote them into leadership roles, ensuring their perspectives and skills benefit society as a whole.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

Kayla Stajkovic, Lecturer at the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis, University of California, Davis and Alex Stajkovic, Associate Professor of Management and Human Resources, University of Wisconsin-Madison

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

SEE ALSO:

2 Atlanta Cops Reinstated After Violent Arrest Of HBCU Students During Black Lives Matter Protest

Grand Jury Indicts St. Louis Couple Who Brandished Weapons At Peaceful Protesters

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BLM Protests: Black Women Police Chiefs Led To More Peace - NewsOne

A Utah man who recorded himself inciting violence and breaking a window before filming the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt outside the House chamber during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack was sentenced Friday to six years in prison.

John Earle Sullivan, 29, was paid $90,875 for his videos before he was convicted at trial. A jury found him guilty in November of rioting and obstructing Congresss certification of the 2020 election results, both felonies, and of five misdemeanor counts.

Prosecutors said Sullivan was a self-described activist with anarchist views who brought a tactical vest, a gas mask, a megaphone and a knife to the riot. Seeking a prison term of a little more than seven years, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Lederer and Michael Barclay said Sullivan shared a desire to see the government burn and the vote certification stopped.

Defense attorney Steven Kiersh said Sullivan was born in Virginia, was adopted by a now-retired Army lieutenant colonel and his wife, and moved with them to Utah, where he trained to be an Olympic speed skater before injuries stopped him. Kiersh cited more than a dozen letters from friends and family who described Sullivan as much different than what the jury saw. The attorney wrote that Sullivan led an admirable and a caring life in which he displayed a sense of responsibility, a commitment to his family, friends and community and an individual who tried to enhance the lives of those around him.

Since his conviction, Sullivan has been held in protective custody in virtual isolation at the D.C. jail, where authorities deemed that he held opposing political views and that housing him with other Jan. 6 defendants would be a threat to his physical safety, his lawyer said. Kiersh asked U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth for a 30-month sentence.

Because Sullivan expressed past support for the Black Lives Matter movement, conservatives like Rudy Giuliani have claimed that he was a left-wing agitator in the mob, as they have sought to direct attention away from what motivated the overwhelmingly pro-Trump crowd. More than 1,350 people have been charged, including nearly 500 accused of attacking police, 130 of whom were armed or caused injury.

Sullivans interests were mixed, said prosecutors, who called him an agent of anti-establishment chaos who shared the goal of attacking Congress and the presidential transition. Using personas including JaydenX and Insurgence U.S.A., Sullivan built a social media following of nearly 500,000 by posting protest-related content after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd.

After he organized a July 2020 protest in Provo, Utah, that led to a motorist being shot, he was targeted by conservatives who believed he was a Black Lives Matter activist, he said. Black Lives Matter activists in Utah said Sullivan was not part of their group and urged protesters to avoid him as a troublemaker and riot chaser.

In the winter of 2020, Sullivan wrote in one social media post: Let the electoral purge commence, the government said. Time To Burn It All Down, he wrote in another post on Jan. 2, 2021. At the Capitol he was recorded saying, Were taking this s--- to the ground and Lets f--- this s--- up.

Sullivan grew up in Stafford, Va., about 45 miles from Washington. His brother James is a conservative activist who has denounced Johns liberal politics. The split between the brothers was the subject of an unaired documentary called A House Divided by Jade Sacker, who recorded both men in Washington and some of whose video was shown at trial.

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Man who recorded fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6 sentenced - The Washington Post

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai reaffirmed her support for the people of Gaza after days of criticism over her decision to co-produce a Broadway musical with former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

I wanted to speak today because I want there to be no confusion about my support for the people of Gaza, she wrote in an Instagram post shared on Wednesday night.

We have all watched the relentless atrocities against Palestinian people for more than six months now with anger and despair. This weeks news of mass graves discovered at Gazas Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals is yet another reminder of the horrors Palestinians bear it is their bones, Yousafzai wrote. We do not need to see more dead bodies, bombed shovels and starving children to understand that a ceasefire is urgent and necessary.

She said that she has and will continue to condemn the Israeli government for its violations of international law and war crimes, and I applaud efforts by those determined to hold them to account. Publicly and privately, I will keep calling on world leaders to push for a ceasefire and to ensure the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid.

The activist said she stands against any form of violence against innocent civilians, including the taking of prisoners and hostages. And I stand in solidarity with the people in Gaza whose voices and demands must be heard, she wrote.

When we see alarming signs of genocide, we cannot wait to take decisive action. We must work together to urge our leaders to stop these war crimes and hold perpetrators to account.

Her statement comes after news surfaced of her producing Suffs, a Broadway musical on the suffrage movement in the US alongside Clinton. The internet was awash with criticism, with many calling the activist a sellout, particularly for partnering with Clinton on the project.

Clinton, the former First Lady and secretary of state, wrote an op-ed for The Atlantic last November in which she argued against a complete ceasefire in Gaza. She has also defended Israel, labelling criticism of it by students antisemitic. She has also been criticised over her involvement in drone attacks in Pakistan during her tenure.

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Malala Yousafzai reaffirms support for Gaza after being slammed over producing musical with Hillary Clinton - Dawn

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be attending a special meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in Sofia on May 18, 2024. Hosted by Kiril Domuschiev, co-founder of the Domuschiev Impact initiative, the gathering aims to convene global leaders from both the public and private sectors to devise strategies for advancing women's empowerment on a global scale.

The CGI, renowned for its commitment to fostering tangible solutions to pressing global challenges, will utilize this meeting as part of its "Road to September" initiative. This series of gatherings serves to forge new partnerships and initiatives in anticipation of the CGI 2024 Annual Meeting slated for September 23-24 in New York.

With a focus on supporting women's leadership and enhancing their access to capital, employment, and opportunities for advancement, the event in Sofia is expected to draw over 200 leaders. Discussions will center on sharing success stories of programs bolstering women's entrepreneurship and exploring avenues to expand such initiatives further. Additionally, existing CGI commitments aimed at promoting gender equality and representation in the workforce will be reviewed.

Notably, this gathering follows in the footsteps of President Bill Clinton's visit to Bulgaria in May 2023, where momentum was generated for the commitments made at the subsequent CGI Annual Meeting in New York.

Hillary Clinton's upcoming visit holds particular significance, as it marks her return to Bulgaria more than 25 years after her inaugural trip as the First Lady of the United States in October 1998. During her visit, Clinton championed the cause of women's rights and full participation in Bulgarian and Southeast European societies, inaugurating the "Women in the 21st Century" conference in Sofia.

She also visited Bulgaria in 2012, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Mladenov, and met Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

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Hillary Clinton is Coming to Bulgaria - Novinite.com