Mel Gibson Settles Anti-Semitism Suit
The sheriff’s deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson and was the subject of his anti-Semitic rant is settling a religious discrimination case against his department.
James Mee, who is Jewish, says he was subject to religions discrimination and a hostile work environment after arresting Gibson in 2006.
Mee claims that his supervisors ordered him to remove Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks from the official incident report, placing them instead in a confidential supplemental report. He claims he was passed over for promotions in the department because he complained about purging the report.
Mee’s attorneys said a $50,000 settlement was reached with the department, subject to approval by the county claims board.
A trial set to begin this week, at which it was rumored that Gibson could be called as a witness, was cancelled.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
