
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, July 3, 1990                   TAG: 9007030336
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

POST OFFICE EMPLOYEE FILES SUIT

A Roanoke postal employee has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service, claiming that he was denied a job as postal inspector because he is a white male.

Christopher T. Harrison, a full-time mail handler at the main Roanoke Post Office, brought the suit in U.S. District Court in Roanoke against the U.S. Postal Service and Anthony Frank, U.S. postmaster general.

In 1986, Harrison, of Blue Ridge, applied for a job as postal inspector and passed all the necessary examinations, medical tests and background checks.

In 1987, he interviewed for a postal inspector's position. The interviewer, "upon determining that [Harrison] was not Puerto Rican or other Hispanic descent, shortly thereafter terminated the employment interview," the suit states.

Harrison continued to push his candidacy because he was approaching 36, the age limit for inspectors. During that time, he learned that a black female, who received a lower examination score and who had previously failed inspector training, gained entry into the training program and was subsequently employed as an inspector, Harrison claims.

"The United States Postal Service continued to deliberately delay any consideration upon [Harrison's] application for employment. [Harrison] believes that not only the black female was granted employment over him but a number of Hispanic males with lesser qualifications were also granted employment as postal inspectors," the suit states.

"This deliberate process of denying [Harrison] employment because he was a white male continued up until Feb. 3, 1988, when he then turned 36 and based on age, was no longer eligible for hire."

Harrison, 38, is asking that he be employed as a postal inspector and that he be awarded full back pay and benefits, seniority to within 30 days of the March 30, 1987, interview or within 30 days of Feb. 3, 1988, and "all other benefits to which he would have been entitled to if he had not been unlawfully discriminated against in seeking employment."

by CNB