BERNARD SPITZER - DO THE RIGHT THING

SETTLE THE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION SUIT AGAINST YOU

We understand that Bernard Spitzer, father of former Governor Spitzer is gravely ill and for that we are very sorry. But we appeal to Mr. Spitzer now... before God... to do the right thing and settle the racial discrimination lawsuit pending against him.

Instead Bernard Spitzer's high-priced lawyers have been fighting four African Americans since 1999 to deny us simple justice.

We are four men of African American descent who were employed in a high-end luxury residential building owned by Bernard Spitzer and managed for him by Gumly Haft. We were initially hired as doormen and maintenance workers by the management company. After Bernard Spitzer became aware of our employment, each of us was terminated within two weeks of each other, for no apparent reason. In each case termination was preceded by an orchestrated campaign of harassment that was designed to induce the four of us to quit.

This campaign of harassment included the assignment for doormen to clean the building toilets with a toothbrush, in once case being told "your kind should be use to it by now," and "clean it good, boy" by his supervisor.

One of us who was fired was told by his supervisor when he protested, "you don't get it - Mr. Spitzer told us to get rid of all the niggers." All statements have been sworn to in a lawsuit which Mr. Spitzer is trying to get dismissed.

Not coincidentally, we were terminated just prior to our qualification for union membership and union protection. We were each terminated just before becoming eligible to become members of local 32 BJ, which would have given us protection from being fired without probable cause.

All of this came after direct confrontation with Bernard Spitzer himself on the building property. He refused to respond to any of us - even to a simple "good morning Mr. Spitzer." On one occasion when he saw one of my African American co-workers at the front desk filling in for a concierge who was in the restroom, he went out of his mind yelling, turned real red and stomped off.

Nonetheless, we wrote to Mr. Spitzer to appeal to him about our jobs and he never responded. We called his office and we were told, "There is nothing he can do." Mr. Spitzer's lawyers now claim falsely he knew nothing about the situation - a blatant lie.

We decided to pursue it legally. Management did not anticipate that the four of us would maintain communication with each other after being terminated.

The terminations took place in 1999 and we filed suit against Bernard Spitzer and his management company Gumly Haft.

Our first attorney was very aggressive, at first, but seemed to lose interest after he said he was contacted by the New York Attorney General's office. He subsequently failed to make a number of court filings on time and the lawsuit came close to being dismissed due to a statute of limitations. Our attorney just stopped returning our calls.

We fired that attorney and retained new one, Mr. Anthony Ofodil, Esq., who was able to keep the suit alive. In a hearing on February 26th, 2008, Mr. Spitzer's lawyers moved to dismiss the suit.

Bernard Spitzer's lawyers have used a series of delays to keep this matter from going to trial for almost 10 years. Each of us was offered $25,000, less legal fees, to settle. Frankly, after the first lawyer, none of us would have gotten more than $1,500. Settlement would have required a strict confidentiality agreement.

Because I guess they think I am the ringleader, one lawyer for Mr. Spitzer asked Anthony Haydenn if he would take $5,000 cash personally to convince the others to end the lawsuit. He promised not to tell the others I got money. Haydenn refused.

Bernard Spitzer was on the premises of each of these buildings on a daily basis, was fully aware of the harassment and racial slurs outlined in our lawsuit and it is clear that although we were harassed and terminated by Gumly Haft management, it was at the direction of Bernard Spitzer.

Mr. Ed Moffat, who just happens to be Caucasian and a former employee of Gumly Haft, is willing to testify on our behalf that he heard the superintendent, Peter Senna of the building located at 150 E. 57th Street, that the men (we) were fired as Mr. Spitzer told them to get rid of all the niggers."

I wrote to the American Civil Liberty Union and unfortunately they cannot help us. I also wrote to the NAACP and Rev. Al Sharpton but did not hear back from them.

We have started an online petition to former Governor Eliot Spitzer who has full authority over his ailing father's business and affairs. It's time to do the right thing. It's time for a fair settlement. Sign the petition to urge Eliot Spitzer to redeem himself by convincing his father to settle this suit with dignity so that we do not have to sue his estate for justice.

The 57th Street Four

Anthony Haydenn ~ Akim Rodriguez ~ Mr. Leonard Boyce ~ Mr. Trevor Morris