U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent, famed for the tongue-lashings he’s dealt out to lawyers in the past, “has fined attorney Anthony Griffin nearly $18,000 for filing a lawsuit the judge termed an attempt to ‘legally extort money’ from the Galveston Independent School District.” Judge Kent “said Griffin, a nationally known black civil rights lawyer, conducted ‘virtually no meaningful investigation’ before filing a suit in which a fired administrator maintained the district paid her less than others because she is black. … ‘Even a minimal investigation into the facts and the law of this case would have revealed the abject frivolity of all of [plaintiff Sonia Boone’s] claims,’ Kent said. ‘Filing it shows either an ignorance of the law or an utter disregard for it, both of which are inexcusable.'” (Kevin Moran, “Attorney rebuked and fined”, Houston Chronicle, May 10). Unsurprisingly, attorney Griffin says he plans to appeal (“Attorney will appeal fines set by judge”, Galveston Daily News, May 12). For more on Judge Kent, see Sept. 6, 2001 and links from there.

Filed under: Houston, workplace