An advocate for San Diego’s deaf community is suing one of the region’s oldest deaf services organizations, alleging staff discriminated against people of color and catered to white clients over minorities.
In a newly filed lawsuit, Jasmine Sandifer claims managers and others at Deaf Community Services of San Diego repeatedly disparaged her and other people of color and did so openly and without any repercussions.
“I would spend a lot of my time at work angry,” Sandifer told NBC 7 Investigates. “Frustrated, upset, didn’t know how to fight it, but I was determined for my clients because they didn’t have the opportunity to fight for themselves.”
Sandifer, according to the lawsuit, was hired in November 2018 to work as a Deaf Advocate and Client Support Specialist. Months into her employment, Sandifer claims she noticed white clients received better care and more services than Hispanic or Black clients.
“I had a really hard time promising things to my clients that I knew I wouldn’t be able to deliver to them,” said Sandifer. “And that was really heartbreaking to me.”