ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 6, 1997 TAG: 9703060091
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
Avis accused of using codes to reject Jews
RALEIGH, N.C. - Sales agents at Avis Rent-A-Car's world reservation center in Tulsa, Okla., refused to rent to ultra-Orthodox Jews and used the code word ``yeshiva'' in referring to them, a former employee says.
``Telesales agents were instructed by supervisors to identify which customers applying for corporate accounts were `yeshivas,''' Elaine Rodgers, who spent 5 1/2 years in sales and customer service at the Tulsa center, said in a sworn statement.
``Agents were told to identify `yeshivas' by listening to the way customers spoke and by determining if the customer lived in a predominantly `yeshiva' area.''
A yeshiva is a Jewish religious school.
Rodgers left Avis in July. Her statement was filed Monday in federal court in Raleigh as part of a discrimination lawsuit filed earlier against the nation's second-largest rental car company. Other former employees have come forward with allegations that blacks were denied cars.
Avis denied Wednesday that it discriminates against Jews or blacks.
-ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tech to host conference on protection of drinking water
The Virginia Water Resources Research Council at Virginia Tech will offer a short conference and video workshop March 19 on the protection of drinking water.
Admission is free, but participants must register by calling Judy Poff at (540)231-8030 or sending her an e-mail message at jupoffxc2vt.edu. Conference check-in begins at 1 p.m.
The conference and workshop at the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center on the Tech campus will feature local and national experts on drinking-water quality. Local panelists will be Jason Gray of the Virginia Water Project in Roanoke, Ken Coffman of the Virginia Rural Water Association and Ronald Conner of the Virginia Department of Health. A national video conference will follow their presentation.
-STAFF REPORT
Branch wins contract for new business hotel
A new hotel chain aimed at business travelers has awarded the contract for its first Virginia hotel to Branch & Associates Inc. of Roanoke.
Branch will build a 130-room, 68,000-square-foot Wingate Inn in Lynchburg. Construction will continue through the summer, with completion planned for November.
Wingate Inns feature specially planned furnishings and communications access in guest rooms for fax machines and computer modems.
-STAFF REPORT
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