A woman is taking Baltimore County to court for demoting and transferring her after she complained of a co-workers? “jungle-bunny music” in the office.
Graceann Shipe, 42, was supervising clerical staff in the county?s code enforcement office in March when she asked a white co-worker to turn down a “Journey” song on the radio because she didn?t want to listen to “their jungle-bunny music,” gesturing toward the desks of two black co-workers, according to county records.
But Shipe, who is white, was unaware the term “jungle-bunny” is often considered racially offensive, said her attorney, C. Stephen Basinger, and is appealing her demotion on the grounds a statement isn?t a racial slur if it wasn?t intended as one.
“She didn?t realize the statement could have been thought of as harmful and had no intention of doing that,” Basinger said. “She has a history of being open to everyone.”
Shipe is asking a Circuit Court judge to overturn a decision rendered by the county?s Personnel and Salary Review Advisory Board upholding a one-day suspension, a transfer and a $1-an-hour pay cut. The administrative board held a hearing March 28, when 20 blacks appeared in person or submitted letters to testify they don?t consider “jungle bunny” to be racially sensitive.
Shipe said she used the term because it reminds her of “the Energizer bunny, loud and obnoxious with noisy, banging cymbals,” according to the board?s opinion.
Shipe was not given a verbal warning, a written warning or the standard protocol of diversity training before she was demoted and transferred, Basinger said. Shipe also believes members of the administrative board who were absent at the hearing unfairly participated in the decision. Basinger said the board?s secretary, county Human Resources Director Theresa Hill, participated in demoting Shipe before the hearing, and should not have participated in board deliberations.
County officials declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. According to the board?s opinion, Shipe, a 15-year county employee, received supervisory training and should “know better.”
“The board finds that Shipe?s ?jungle-bunny music? statement was offensive and inappropriate in the work place,” the opinion says. “Supervisors are held to a high standard and having completed the county?s supervisory certificate program, Shipe should know better.”
