Rancho Santa Margarita lawyer/dentist/real estate saleslady/Eastern Blochead Orly Taitz has stuck her legal nose into the Donald Sterling controversy, firing off a “complaint” to the NBA that argues because Shaquille O'Neal “publicly bullied” a man with a disability, Shaq should be slapped with the same lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine as the Clippers owner.
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Orly Taitz to Court: Either Allow Ban on Gay Wedding Cakes or Reinstate Duck Dynasty Star
Yes, it does harken back to the convoluted, jurisdiction-hopping, legally dubious courtroom funny papers Taitz filed in December, when she called on Colorado's courts to either overturn a judge's decision forcing a wedding cake baker to serve gay couples or force the A&E cable channel to reinstate a then-suspended Duck Dynasty reality show star.
Um … yes … wow indeed.
O'Neal, Utah Jazz rookie sensation Trey Burke and rapper Waka Flocka all used social media to mock Jahmel Binion, a 23-year-old in Warren, Michigan, who suffers from the rare genetic disorder ectodermal dysplasia that has left his face deformed.
Shaq had posted on Instagram (and has since removed) a photo of himself making a weird face next to a mug of Binion, who recently created the anti-bullying campaign Hug Don't Judge. O'Neal, Burke and Waka Flocka all apologized via Twitter, and O'Neal and Burke also phoned Binion directly. Binion says he accepted the apologies, although he also suggested that at least Waka Flocka do something even more publicly, such as contribute to Hug Don't Judge or the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias.
More punishment against O'Neal and Burke is warranted in light of the shitstorm caused by the racist, secretly recorded comments of Sterling, Taitz suggests in her letter of complaint to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA Board of Governors, which she posted on OrlyTaitzEsq.com. (She, of course, mentions in her complaint that she is seeking the Republican nomination for California attorney general, along with a link to her campaign site.)
“Petitioner provides Commissioner Silver and the Board of Governors with evidence showing minor owner of Sacramento Kings Shaquille O'Neil publicly demeaning, mocking and belittling a disabled African-American person Jahmel Binion. O'Neil was joined by Utah Jazz player Trey Burke, who engaged in similar bullying. Further, petitioner provides evidence of O'Neil engaging in bullying and mocking of an Asian athlete and making intolerant public racist statements about an Asian athlete Yao Ming,” Taitz writes.
“Petitioner demands that Commissioner Silver and the Board of Governors engage in impartial, even handed and non discriminatory treatment and impose the same punishment for O'Neil and Burke, specifically ban for life from NBA, $2.5 million for each incident ($5 million from O'Neil for bullying both Binion and Ming) as well as forced sale of O'Neil's ownership rights/ share of Sacramento Kings.”
Besides the fines and NBA bans of O'Neil … I mean … O'Neal and Burke, Taitz's complaint requests that each owner, coach and player in the league be sent a questionnaire asking “whether they subscribe to the same interpretation of the NBA contract, the same 'Silver' standard in that one can be banned for life, fined millions and forced to sell the team for making an inappropriate statement in a personal conversation.”
Recipients are to be further asked if “they consent to be charged and fined under this new 'Silver' standard; or do they disagree with this interpretation and believe that the NBA contract does not allow for such harsh punishment and believe that a verbal reprimand and a demand for an apology represent a proper interpretation of the contract, in which case Sterling punishment should be reversed and reduced to an apology only and the same should be done in O'Neil and Burke cases.”
Whew. Silver, Burke and O'Neil … I mean … O'Neal must be shaking in their sneaks. At least it's refreshing to see Taitz picking on African-Americans other than Barack Obama for a change.
Email: mc****@oc******.com. Twitter: @MatthewTCoker. Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.