Amtrak and African-American Passenger Settle Civil Rights Suit

4 November 2005

The Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil
Rights and Urban Affairs, and the law firm of Wiggins, Childs, Quinn &
Pantazis, PLLC, are pleased to announce the settlement of an important race
discrimination lawsuit against AMTRAK (National Railroad Passenger
Corporation), the only nationwide passenger railroad in the U.S. The suit
has been pending before U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman in the
District Court for the District of Columbia.

The plaintiff, David Parker, is an African-American who alleged that while
traveling with members of his family as a passenger on an Amtrak train from
Miami to New York in 2000, he became the object of racial discrimination
and humiliation by a white Amtrak conductor. The conductor in question, who
has since retired, had a long, documented track record of complaints of
having engaged in discriminatory conduct against African-Americans and
other minorities, without ever having suffered any tangible discipline.

Under the terms of the settlement, which include a significant financial
component, Amtrak has agreed to put into place far-reaching measures to
reduce the likelihood of any situations like this ever recurring again.
Under the new rules, which are the subject of a court order to which Amtrak
has consented, any accusations of discrimination by Amtrak passengers must
be investigated by Amtrak's Dispute Resolution Office or by Amtrak's EEO
office. Amtrak EEO must also approve the discipline to be meted out in
each such instance, with due consideration to the offender's prior history
of discrimination complaints and charges, whether passenger-related or
employment-related.

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It is expected that the court order embodying the new requirements will be
signed on November 3rd by Judge Paul Friedman. With the anticipated
faithful implementation of the new procedures, the Lawyers Committee and
the Wiggins, Childs firm believe that Amtrak will have taken a major step
forward in its continuing efforts to emerge from the mire of racial
discrimination that has long affected the traditionally segregated railroad
industry, in which Amtrak plays an important role. One of Mr. Parker's
attorneys, Warren K. Kaplan, of the WLC, said, "We commend Amtrak for its
willingness to step up to the plate in this instance, and take the
necessary measures hopefully to rid itself of a long-standing problem. With
the adoption of these important new procedures, Amtrak's minority patrons
should be able to ride the trains with an increased measure of confidence
that they will not become the object of discrimination." "We hope that
Amtrak will continue to take a pro-active role in combating race
discrimination within the company because much more needs to be done," said
another of Mr. Parker's attorneys, Timothy B. Fleming of the Wiggins,
Childs firm in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Kaplan and Mr. Fleming added: "It is a fortuitous coincidence that this
settlement has occurred in the same week that the nation celebrates the
life of the late, great Rosa Parks. David Parker has done his part,
following in her footsteps, by insisting on being treated with respect, and
not as a second class citizen, on a public transportation system."

Both Mr. Kaplan and Mr. Fleming are counsel to the plaintiffs in another
major case against Amtrak, Campbell, et al., v. Amtrak, in which they
represent unionized African-American employees of Amtrak nationwide in an
employment race discrimination class action, also pending in the U.S.
District Court in Washington, D.C.

For more information, please contact:
Warren K. Kaplan
Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
(202) 319-1000
Timothy B. Fleming
Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis, PLLC
202-467-4123
SOURCE: Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis LLC