- Kimberly Osorio
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Kimberly Osorio Born 1974
Bronx, New York, United StatesOther names Kim Osorio Occupation Editor Known for The Source Magazine lawsuit Title Executive Editor of BET Interactive Predecessor Carlito Rodriguez at The Source Successor Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe at The Source Religion Catholic Children one Website myspace.com page Kimberly Osorio (born in 1974 in Bronx, New York City) is an American hip-hop journalist.
Osorio began working at The Source magazine in 2000 as an Associate Music Editor and was later promoted to Music Editor. She was given her last position in 2003 as Editor-in-Chief,[1][2][3] the first female EIC in the history of the publication.[4]
Osorio filed a lawsuit against The Source magazine alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination, defamation, retaliatory discharge, and maintaining a hostile work environment.[2][5][6]
Contents
Allegations
Osorio filed her report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2005 with fellow employee, ex-marketing VP Michelle Joyce, outlining their case of sexual harassment.[4][7] The jury rejected the case brought forth by Michelle Joyce, but Kimberly Osorio's case went ahead.[8] It is now known that as early as 2004, Osorio began talking to lawyers regarding the merits of her case.[1] The affidavit filed with the EEOC detailed the work environment at The Source magazine, as well as threats and conduct of workers.[4][5] Osorio soon after sent an e-mail to the Source Magazine Human Resources department outlining her complaint, and after refusing to withdraw her e-mail she was fired,[9] her employers claiming it was because of poor performance, particularly her decisions on magazine covers and certain negative reviews of artists' CDs.[5] After Osorio's termination, she was accused by Raymond "Benzino" Scott, the magazine's co-founder, of extortion during an interview he gave, where he went on to accuse Osorio of sleeping around with hip hop artists.[2][3][5][6][10][11]
Osorio outlined the environment which was present at the magazine: employees often watched pornographic movies and hung pictures of females in G-strings, smoked pot and called women bitches.[2][3][5] She also claimed that rumors constantly were made detailing untrue stories of her being sexually involved with industry artists.[3][5][10] After 2 weeks, a jury of six men and two women concluded that Osorio had not been a victim of sexual harassment,[2][5][10] but co-founders of The Source magazine David Mays and Raymond Scott, had in fact terminated her in retaliation; and Scott had defamed her character in an interview he had given. The total judgement was reported by media outlets to be $15.5 million [2][3][5][6][10][12] but it was really $7.5 million.
Result of trial
The trial lasted 8 days, with Raymond Scott being asked to leave, or threatened with removal from the courtroom by Judge Jed S. Rakoff.[5] The Source magazine filed for bankruptcy protection shortly before the verdict was handed down. Osorio's lawyer commented that he was not worried about the filing because, "They're [Source magazine] still a viable company".[2][5]
Mays and Scott contend the award was for $7.5 million and not the $15.5 million initially reported, stating Mays, Scott and Source magazine were responsible for $4 million of the award jointly and not separately. According to a press release by Osorio's attorney, Kenneth Thompson, the award breakdown was $4 million from The Source for retaliatory discharge, $4 million from both David Mays and Raymond Scott for retaliatory discharge, $3.5 million from Scott for defamation of character.[2][6][10]
On November 1, 2006, Judge Rakoff announced the verdict was in fact for $7.5 million, putting to rest continued media reports of a $15.5 million settlement. He further rejected the appeals of Mays, Scott and The Source Magazine.[13]
Kimberly Osorio is currently an editor-at-large at BET Interactive (bet.com), an affiliate of Black Entertainment Television.[2][6][10][14] In September 2008, Osorio released a book titled Straight From The Source: An Expose from the Former Editor In Chief of the Hip-Hop Bible, on Pocket/VH1 Books detailing the events of her time at The Source magazine.[12] In the summer of 2008, Osorio left BET.com to be the VP of Content at Global Grind, where she spent four months before returning to BET.com.
Osorio finally broke her silence during an exclusive interview with BlackPressRadio.com, sparing little words about how she felt about the situation. She speaks candidly about the rumors, her relationships and what made her the most qualified woman in America to hold down the title of Editor-in-Chief of The Source.[citation needed]
See also
- Benzino
- David Mays
- Sexual harassment
- The Source magazine
- BET
- Straight From The Source
References
- ^ a b "Talking With Kim Osorio". Village Voice. October 30, 2006. http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0644,clemente,74884,22.html.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jury Award to Source Ex-Editor Disputed". Houston Chronicle. October 25, 2006. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4286703.html.
- ^ a b c d e "Hip-hop mag bagged". New York Daily News. October 24, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061108063603/http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/464769p-390947c.html.
- ^ a b c "Conscience Rap". Village Voice. October 23, 2006. http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0643,brewhammond,74806,22.html.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Carlson, Peter (October 25, 2006). "Hip-Hop Editor Wins Suit over Her Firing". Washington post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102401500.html. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Jury Award to Source Ex-Editor Disputed". MSN Money. October 25, 2006. http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=AP&Date=20061025&ID=6136114.
- ^ "Source Co-Founder Quits, Then Vows to Stay, As Discrimination and Harassment Allegations Arise". Folio Magazine. April 11, 2005. http://www.foliomag.com/viewmedia.asp?prmMID=4787&prmID=249.
- ^ ""Source" of Sex Crazies". New York Post. October 12, 2006. http://www.nypost.com/seven/10122006/news/regionalnews/source_of_sex_crazies_regionalnews_leonard_greene.htm.[dead link]
- ^ "Benzino Slapped With Sexual-Harassment Charges". MTV. April 11, 2005. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1499878/20050411/index.jhtml?headlines=true.
- ^ a b c d e f "Former Source Magazine Editor-in-Chief Awarded $15.5 Million from The Source Trial". BET. October 23, 2006. http://www.bet.com/Music/Former+Source+Magazine+EditorinChief+Awarded+155+Million+fromTheSource.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished&Referrer=%7B03CE5360-2620-42CB-AD7E-77E4249C5FB7%7D.
- ^ "Editors New "Source" Of Woe". New York Post. October 25, 2006. http://www.nypost.com/seven/10252006/news/regionalnews/editors_new_source_of_woe_regionalnews_leonard_greene.htm.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Ex Source Editor, Kim Osorio, To Write Tell-All Book". VIBE Magazine. October 25, 2006. http://www.vibe.com/news/2006/10/kim_osorio_to_write_tell_all_book/.
- ^ "Kim Osorio Wins $8 Mil...Not $15 From The Source". HipHopDX. November 2, 2006. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.4595/title.kim-osorio-wins-8-mil-not-15-from-the-source.
- ^ "Ex-Source editor hopes ruling redefines rap". New York Metro. October 25, 2006. http://ny.metro.us/metro/local/article/ExSource_editor_hopes_ruling_redefines_rap/5324.html.
External links
Categories:- 1974 births
- Living people
- American magazine editors
- People from the Bronx
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