Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Paula Deen, Bubba Hiers and Lisa T. Jackson the REAL issue

In typical bait and switch fashion, the mainstream media have focused their attention on Paula Deen's having committed the shocking crime of uttering the word "nigger". Front page headlines! Oh my God! Food Network promptly cancelled Ms. Deen's butter infused cooking show.

BUT the real story is that one beleaguered woman, Lisa T. Jackson working in the capacity of General Manager for Bubba's Restaurant endured 5+ years of lower pay, sexual harassment, and physical abuse at the hands of Earl "Bubba" Hiers, Paula Deen's brother.
You can read the Lisa T. Jackson v. Paula Deen, Earl Hiers transcript here.

Many people have come to Paula's defense, saying things like "We all make mistakes" "Blacks say nigger all the time" "Food Network is a hypocrite" "Jesus will save her" and other inane comments.
The real issue is not about saying nigger. It is about how one hard working woman, Lisa T. Jackson was hired, reluctantly at first,
"You're everything I've never wanted, but everything I need, a woman to clean my business up...you should take that as a compliment" Bubba told Lisa,
to save the failing business of Uncle Bubba's Seafood & Oyster House.Photo: We can think of a way for you to spend your Hump Day....

Bubba and the other male managers did not believe that a woman had the ability to turn things around and make his venture profitable. But Ms. Jackson did so in a matter of months. Was she rewarded for her efforts? No. She was paid less than the male managers of the other restaurants of Deen Enterprises.  She was exposed to pornography in the cramped office she shared with Bubba. She had to make up for the cash Bubba was stealing directly from the register to the tune of  $25,000 a month without recording or accounting for it. She had to smooth things over with the black employess who worked the kitchen where they were addressed as "monkey", i.e. "I wanna fire every one uh them monkeys in that kitchen!" -Earl Bubba Hiers. and "nigger" of course.  Bubba's daily consumption of a  white Styrofoam cup   filled to the brim with  whiskey also signaled Ms. Jackson and the terrified kitchen employess what any given workday had in store for them.
Ms. Jackson also had to endure having her bonus denied her by a bible thumping Karl Schumacher because she had gotten a divorce, thereby mocking the holy sanctity of marriage. inSchumacher's view.
Finally after 5 years of putting up with multiple abuses Ms. Jackson had no choice but to quit her job. After having done so, Deen Ent. made sure that no other vendors or business in Savannah would hire her, forcing Lisa Jackson to have to move to another state in order to earn a living.
The bottom line is that it angers me that everyone is focusing on Paula Deen saying nigger and not the real story; how Paula betrayed a woman who was struggling and succeeding in spite of Earl Bubba Hiers disgusting behavior.
Bubba & Paula, 2 dummies
And the fact that the Georgia legal system is dragging its feet about bringing this matter to court.
If Paula Deen was smart, she would have settled this matter out of court and paid Ms. Jackson the $1 million. But neither she nor her brother Bubba have evidenced very much intelligence. Now I have zero sympathy for Deen Enterprises and especially none for Uncle Bubba's restaurant. I would hope that any decent human avoids that place and boycotts all the Deen ventures as well.

16 comments:

Unknown said...

Isn't it Bubba who should be punished though? I don't see how it's fair that his sister gets the punishment.

Unknown said...

Thank you for trying to get the focus back where it belongs!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

And just where do you get your information G Lions? You speak with hate and disdain, as if you saw it first hand. I hired into a job that I grew to hate....in the first day of working there.....I quit that day, after pulling my shift. I did not stay for 5 years. There are plenty of other jobs for a person willing to work. Well. there will be once we get the democrat out of the white house.

Unknown said...

I agree where does it say that Paula did anything?

Unknown said...

On Bubba not Paula because no where in this article does it say she did anything to her.

Unknown said...

I agree if it was that bad why stay? Something is fishy with this Lisa T. Jackson.

Unknown said...

I agree where does it say that Paula did anything?

Veronica R said...

Read the full complaint linked below. Paragraphs 17, 28, and 51 are specific to Ms. Deen's actions. As the controlling owner of the "Lady and Sons" business, Ms. Deen is responsible for the actions of her managers. She, herself, has some questionable behaviors.

http://www.atlawblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jackson-v.-Deen-et-al.-Complaint.pdf

Veronica R said...

Why did Ms. Jackson stay? Here are some possible reasons:

It is HARD to get a restaurant management job, especially if you leave the employment of someone as powerful as Paula Deen, and especially if you are a woman. It is quite obvious that Earl "Bubba" Hiers would not have given her a good recommendation.

Perhaps Ms. Jackson was trying to protect the employees she had come to care for. Perhaps she saw herself as a "buffer" between Bubba and them. This is classic co-dependent behavior. Since Bubba seems to have a drinking problem, that would be quite likely.

Maybe she simply wanted to do a good job in the hopes that someday she would be justly rewarded.

Veronica R said...

Read the full complaint linked below. Paragraphs 17, 28, and 51 are specific to Ms. Deen's actions. As the controlling owner of the "Lady and Sons" business, Ms. Deen is responsible for the actions of her managers. She, herself, has some questionable behaviors.

http://www.atlawblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jackson-v.-Deen-et-al.-Complaint.pdf

Dawn's Farm Stuff said...

If all of this was true, why didn't she file with the EEOC? Which a few of her charges required. Why stay for 5 years?

Dawn's Farm Stuff said...

http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/newsdesk/tmz_documents/0309_Judge_Abbot_Paula_deen.pdf

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Becky said...

Paula Deen is a co-owner, she is legally responsible

Becky said...

Paula Deen is a co-owner, she is legally responsible