The Boston Bar Association is strongly committed to building a diverse and inclusive community of legal professionals in Boston. We believe deeply in the values of diversity, equality, and justice that we foster in our association and in our city. We are proud to work in partnership with like-minded law firms, the courts, the private sector, government and legal services agencies, the affinity bars, and other non-profit and community organizations in support of those goals. As a professional association of more than 12,000 lawyers, we stand firmly against racism and discrimination in all forms. We would like to share with our members the below statement released on February 15 by the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts (AALAM):
The Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts (AALAM), and ten other bar associations and community organizations (see full list below), strongly condemn the recent offensive, racist, and insensitive conduct of WEEI sports-talk radio host Christian Fauria on his last Friday’s program (2/9/18) wherein he mocked sports agent Don Yee, the agent for NFL players Tom Brady and Jimmy Garappolo, by imitating him using a racially stereotyped, over-the-top Asian accent.
Such behavior was not only hateful, ill-conceived and repugnant, but also perpetuates ignorant, inaccurate stereotypes about Asian Americans. This was not only an insult to Don Yee (who is U.S.-born and speaks English without an accent), but it also belittles all Asian Americans and minorities despite their accomplishments.
While AALAM appreciates that Fauria has personally apologized to Don Yee for his conduct, and that WEEI timely responded to criticism by issuing a 5-day suspension to Fauria and mandated sensitivity training for its employees, this is not the first time WEEI hosts have used disparaging and derogatory language during their radio shows. We call upon management and the larger community to take more proactive steps to ensure that WEEI and its employees reflect the values of inclusion, acceptance and mutual respect of their diverse audience.
To that end, AALAM applauds the recent actions of City of Boston Credit Union, Comcast Corp., Citizens Bank, the MA State Lottery Commission, and the MA Health Connector in suspending their advertising on WEEI following the Fauria incident.
As an affinity bar association, we stand firmly against divisive, racist and discriminatory behavior in all its forms. We urge WEEI and the sports and media community to stand tall with us to make clear that there is no place for racism in our community.
Other bar associations and community organizations signing-on to this statement include:
– Massachusetts Bar Association
– Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice
– Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association
– South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston
– Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association
– Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys
– Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys
– Asian American Civic Association
– Asian Community Development Corporation
– Women’s Bar Association
