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

DATE: FRIDAY, March 3, 1995                   TAG: 9503030143
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK                                LENGTH: Short

NORFOLK CITY WORKER CHARGES ANTI-WHITE BIAS

A manager in the city's Human Services department is suing the city for $750,000, claiming the department's former director made defamatory remarks about her and discriminated against her because she is white.

Karen Lindsay Hatch alleges that George Musgrove, now assistant city manager of Richmond, referred to her as ``a white racist bitch'' and told one of her subordinates ``to watch out for your supervisor, she's a racist.''

Musgrove is black. Hatch, a service programs manager in the division of social services, has been a social worker for 24 years. The department is 70 percent minority, and such comments effectively destroyed Hatch's career, the suit alleges.

Musgrove was director of the department of Human Services for four years, where he supervised 600 employees and a budget of $30 million. He left in late November for the Richmond job.

``Pending litigation, I'm hesitant to make any comment other than to categorically deny any of the assertions in the suit,'' said Musgrove. ``They are just not true.''

Hatch, 47, names two witnesses in the suit who, she says, back up her allegations.

She said she learned of Musgrove's remarks in February 1994. She said she tried to meet with Musgrove's supervisor, Assistant City Manager George Crawley, but was not given the opportunity. Her attorney filed a complaint with the city soon afterward, Hatch said.

by CNB