Legal Documents Claim Racism and Retaliation From St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office

Newly filed pages of legal documents claim racism and retaliation from Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, the woman elected and sworn to uphold the laws of St. Louis and Missouri.

Rebecca Goetz, the person leveling the claims is white and said when a racist rant came her way, Gardner did nothing and then fired her.

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It all centers around a meeting in May 2022 where Goetz’s lawyers said she was told she couldn’t do her job because she is white.

Perhaps some people think because black people in this country had a raw deal, had a raw deal for centuries that the correct solution is to even up and discriminate against white people,” Attorney W. Bevis Schock explained Tuesday afternoon. {snip}

In October 2021, Ms. Goetz, a long-time employee of the state of Missouri, began working for Kim Gardner’s office as a Diversion Specialist. She worked with young offenders to get them back on the right track {snip}

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“In the process of discussing business, one of the employees, told her she was not competent to do her job, because she is the wrong color,” Co-council Erich Veith said.

The lawsuit alleges, with most of the individual defendants present, including Gardner, that a co-worker, Victor Martin, referring to white employees, said “All you do is act like slave owners.”

Goetz’s attorneys said later in the meeting he repeatedly told Goetz words to the effects of, “I’m black, you’re not. You will never know how to help these participants,” referring to those in the diversion program.

Her lawyers said she was put on suspension without pay for a week, then fired. They said she was never given a reason why she was terminated.

“They examined personal texts she had with a fellow employee where she voiced concern this attack had occurred,” Schock said. “That’s protected speech, fighting against discrimination, you can’t be fired for fighting back against discrimination.”

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