Gay Ex-Staffer Makes Lurid Claims in Sexual Harassment Suit Against Jesse Jackson
- Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:42pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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AP
A former staffer to Rev. Jesse Jackson has filed a lawsuit against Jackson and his nonprofit Rainbow PUSH Coalition, claiming he was sexually harassed and discriminated against because he is gay.
According to the complaint, filed Sept. 16, Tommy R. Bennett worked for outreach organization Rainbow PUSH from July 2007 to Dec. 2009. During that time, he said he was subjected to a barrage of humiliating and discriminating behavior from both Jackson and a fellow staff member, Caroline Wiggins.
In one instance, the complaint said, Wiggins requested to be transferred from under Bennett’s supervision because of his sexual orientation, which was widely known around the office. She then allegedly told the rest of the staff she was glad she did not have to answer to Bennett anymore and “would make a limp wrist gesture towards Mr. Bennett whenever Mr. Bennett walked down the hallway.”
In 2008, soon after Wiggins was transferred, the complaint said she led a prayer during a volunteer meeting in which she stated, “bind these homosexual spirits that are in the office” and “get these homosexuals out of here and do it in Jesus’ name” — comments that were heard throughout the office. At that point, Bennett filed a Human Resources complaint but said he never got a response.
Wiggins left the organization for unspecified reasons soon after Bennett filed the complaint.
Later in 2008, Bennett was appointed Jackson’s travel assistant, during which time he said he was harassed by Jackson himself and made to do “demeaning and demoralizing tasks.”
According to Talking Points Memo:
He claims that he was instructed to do a number of “humiliating tasks,“ including ”escort women to [Jackson's] room after work hours and clean up his room after sexual intercourse with women,” arrange a massage for Jackson, and bring Jackson Cialis from his room. For a trip to Tanzania, Bennett alleges he was asked to pack for Jackson, who “was not happy with his packing and started screaming, ‘motherf***er’ repeatedly.” In another instance, he alleges he was asked to pick up a prescription and apply it to a rash on Jackson’s inner thigh. When Bennett refused, he claims Jackson called him “little motherf***er.”
In the most lurid of the allegations described, Bennett alleges Jackson, dressed only in briefs, made implicit sexual advances towards him when describing a time when he got oral sex from a teacher. Read more in the complaint (.pdf) here.
Bennnett was placed on paid leave in May 2009, the complaint said, after an office intern falsely claimed Bennett had taken him to a gay bar, propositioned him and smoked marijuana with him. Although a subsequent investigation determined the allegations not to be true, Bennett was formally terminated in Dec. 2009, supposedly due to a lack of funding — despite the organization hiring a replacement and filling several other positions after he left.
According to the Chicago Tribune, in a joint response to a separate complaint Bennett filed earlier this year, Jackson and Rainbow PUSH said they “unequivocally deny Tommy Bennett’s false claims of harassment, retaliation and discrimination”:
“The organization does not condone or tolerate discrimination in any form,” the statement said. “His inflammatory allegations are an attempt to malign Rev. Jackson and the organization, and are hurtful and harmful to the progressive community. We are fully cooperating with the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and expect to be fully exonerated.”
Bennett is seeking at least $98,300 in lost income and benefits and $350,000 for emotional distress and other damages.





















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Comments (187)
Deanna in Missouri
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:47pmI’m sorry but after reading this I got a mental picture. I threw up in my mouth. He is so gross.
Report Post »Deanna in Missouri
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:47pmDoes that make me a racist?
Report Post »SHOWMESTATEGUY
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:54pmNo, I would say you’re just normal.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 8:11pmDeanns…..
Report Post »Even if it did (which it doesn’t), you’d be like Jesse. He wrote the book on Racism.
demint.disciple
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 8:36pmNo but you are beautiful.. :~)
Report Post »onejimharris
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 8:40pmNo, Because you look so beautiful your just fine :)
Report Post »mikenleeds
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 8:47pmi ve always thought Jesse Jackson was a ***** … he is a liberal and farts rainbows
Report Post »blue_sky
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:09pmWhen Ron Paul and free young generation restore free-market capitalism, all this non-sense and hearsay will disappear.
When private property, individual liberty and contract is respected again it would be as follows.
Each worker know his/her responsibilities upfront. If asked extra, then further negotiation is required (extra money, for example.) If no agreements or compromise is found the parties depart (departure close and compensation should be also be included in a hiring contract.)
Every boss would value a good worker and would have no reason to abuse him.
True, people like Jesse would NOT be bosses in free-market capitalism. Simple like that.
If they try, they would fail quickly to more robust competition.
====================================================
Report Post »jzs
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:27pmNo, Deanna, it makes you normal, at least for people who post here. You‘re normal because you’ll accept any lurid claim made on this website against someone you don’t like. Even without any corroborrating evidence. You’d be abnormal if you behaved differently (“abnormal” means weird, but not in a good way).
The guy is suing for almost a half million bucks, making claims neither you or anyone has any reason at all to believe are true. And you throw up.
No, that’s perfectly normal for people like you. You fit right in.
Report Post »BufordTJustice
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:48pmJZS you are a racist and a bigot. She said nothing pro or con as to who is at fault or not. She simply commented on the description of the allegations. For anyone normal that would gross them out picturing the things mentioned. Perhaps you need to question why none of the things reported caused you to want to throw up. By the way you probably just don’t like here because she is beautiful( if the photo is in fact her)
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:49pmHow did jesse get the rash????
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:50pmFilling Jackoffson’s mouth and anus (barely distinguishable from one another) with super glue would have been more in order.
Report Post »jzs
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:25pmActually, BURFORD, what Deanna said was, “He’s so gross.” I‘m assume she’s talking about Jackson and not the other guy. That is an accusation based on the unsubstantiated, uncorroborated allegations of a person who suing a well known person for money. Old story. Jackson can either settle out of court to make it go away, or spend even more money challenging the allegations in court.
Anyway – sorry Deanna – but “He’s so gross” isn’t a reaction to imagery, it’s swallowing the story whole.
BURFORD, when I read your accusation of me being a “bigot” and a “racist”, that did make me want to throw up a little in my mouth, considering that there was no reference to race in my post. But to your point that Deanna is beautiful, I agree, and I intend to court her if she’ll allow. You’re not really helping me out on that.
Report Post »SpeckChaser
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:42pm@JZS
Request #2
“But she is a typical white person who, uh, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn‘t know there’s a reaction that‘s been bred into our experiences that don’t go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way and that’s just the nature of race in our society.” Senator Barak Obama
You have yet to castigate Obama for bigoted comments or apologize to Beck for criticizing him when he called Obama a racist. Even the Huffington Post got it, “Seriously, Barack Obama basically called all white people racist.” I would like you to tell us how Obama is bigoted. I would like you to tell us how Beck/HuffPo was right.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/obama-grandmother-typical_b_92601.html
You have made your feelings on the bush tax cuts WELL known but have not explained how increasing taxes on the rich will create jobs. I would like you to explain it.
You have not told us how GE is taking the food from the mouth of the poor and is far more evil than big oil, which at least pays some (Billions) taxes is. I would like you to tell us.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/general-electric-paid-federal-taxes-2010/story?id=13224558
Report Post »SpeckChaser
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:52pm@Burford
Is JZS a racist? No. An ageist? Yes.
He once told me “Speck, you must be young,” implying I was too young to have an adequate amount of knowledge.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:45am@SPECKCHASER
He also called me an “old fart” because I once used the phrase, “Two bit”
I think I called him a “Two bit marxist”
Report Post »gotta light
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 3:32amIf the Rearend, ooops I mean Reverend Jesse Jackson is as his son Jesse Jackson Jr. would say “a undercover ***** on the down low”
I WOULD BELIEVE IT!
Does the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta! says…. 50% of all black gay and bisexual men are HIV+ ???
Hey bud gotta light?
Report Post »MOLLYPITCHER
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 4:56amI did the same thing Deanna. No that doesn’t make you racist, he’d be gross no matter what his race
Report Post »Discord
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:13amGod, the amount of sexism in these replies makes me throw up in my mouth a little.
Report Post »Cruzan
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:00amTo GottaLight….
Research Jesse Jackson Jr “*****” and you should find a comment he made about 2 months ago saying that in his opinion, blacks should be called *****.
Report Post »DanWesson455
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:43amI puke by just seeing the Rev Jacksoooon
Report Post »munacra
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:04amYeah I threw up a little in my mouth too…
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 5:30pmYeah, It sure paints a pretty picture. Typical democrat mess, tho
Report Post »jzs
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:31pmHey Spec and Billy. I always appreciate your replies. Wouldn’t this website be boring if all everybody did is say that liberals are “Marxists” and then added a few other sentences to try to find an even more clever insult to the person before? I promise I’m going to write a program, that I’ll sell to Blazers, that generates insults, in grammatical English sentences, by randomly interchanging the words marxist, facistist, communist, socialists destroy, hate, fraud, global warming hoax, redistribution of wealth, job creators, class warfare, end of the world, and so on. That way, perfectly acceptable comments can be made at the click of the mouse. And no one will be the wiser!
But you guys are different, and it gives me hope. Anyway, I was suprised, Spec, at your Obama quote, one that Chris Wallace supported on air. Surely you listened to the entire speach? That was a remarkable and insightful speach about the state of race relations in this country and the world. If you think that the word “typical white person” (his mother was white if you didn’t know) were poorly chosen, I agree, especially because of the way the right portrayed that.
If you‘re defending Beck’s calling Obama a racist (most of his cabinet is white by the way), which was the first domino is his demise on FOX, because the claim was incomprehensibly absurd, then I you should rethink your position. Got another reason or quote?
Sorry, out of words. Bring the rest up again if you’d
Report Post »Resist We Much
Posted on September 23, 2011 at 10:56amHey JZS, I promise I’m going to write a program for the Huffington Posters that generates insults, in grammatical English sentences, by randomly interchanging the words fascist, Nazi, racist, slave owners, gun nuts, global warming deniers, red necks, rich should pay their fair share, hope, change, It‘s Bush’s fault, he inherited a mess, tea baggers and so on. That way, perfectly acceptable comments can be made at the click of the mouse.
Report Post »Ordinarywhiteperson
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:44pmIt puts the lotion on it skin!!!!
Report Post »TSUNAMI-22
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:51pmNow, that’s funny !!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuJtAoADesE
Report Post »chazman
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:57pm… yeah … Rainbow Push. What the hell does that tell ya? It‘s all part of that ’Lean Forward’ thing, and JJ is all about leaning. What a putz …
Give ‘em enough time and they hang themselves. So fun to watch …
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:58pmhysterical!
Report Post »SLAPTHELEFT
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:02pmOh jesse. Dude you wanted a man to rub jock itch cream on your thighs? I guess you are the “head” of the rainbow “push” coalition. You are so gay! Thats why youre so angry. You arent even good looking enough to get a gay man to rub your thighs. Hey jesse, you know how I know youre gay? Because you are angry and need a man to rub your jock itch lotion on your cheesy thighs. hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
Did you banish him to the “rear” of you?
Report Post »SLAPTHELEFT
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:06pm98000 for lost income? what the hell was this guys job? Is jesse the evil rich obama is alwyas talking about? If a staffer makes that much how much does jesse make off the backs of the middle and lower class afro american?
BLACK PEOPLE- WAKE THE EFF UP! LOOK WHO IS REPRESENTING YOU. YOU DO EVERYTHING THESE ROBBERS TELL YOU TO AND THEY DRIVE THE CADILLACS. yOU RIDE THE BUS! STAND UP FOR YOURSELVES AGAINST THESE PLASTIC BANANAS! YOU ARE THEIR SLAVES! AND YOU CLAP CHANT AND CHEER FOR YOUR SERVITUDE!
I will never understand Black Americans.
Report Post »Ben__Franklin
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:13pmNo wonder Jessie wanted to cut off Obamas balls, he wanted to take them home….
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:14pmlong live cartman
Report Post »Ben__Franklin
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:14pmSlap, $98K must be the going rate for a male prostitute when Jessie reaaallllly wants the company.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:38pmLook…I have to defend Rev. Jesse. NO ONE understands what he’s saying. He may have been saying “I want corned beef hash and pecan pie”. You just don’t know with the good reverend, he needs subtitles.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:43pmThe “inner thigh” description was priceless, indeed.
Classic!
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:40pm@jzs.. You’re a dick and you look like dumbo…
Report Post »Restoreamericanow
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 11:20pmLMAO!!!!! Too funny!!
Report Post »DanWesson455
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:45amHAHAHAHAHA LMAO !!!! So GOOD, So GOOD!
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:42pmGay sexual harassment charges against ‘Rainbow PUSH’… you can’t make this stuff up.
Report Post »Cherynn
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:22pmAmen, Jessie was lookin for a little bit of that rainbow push uh ha. So whats the sermon gonna be about next sunday preacher man? At least now we know lean forward is just a progressive code for bend over.
Report Post »fulcrum
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:40pmI don’t understand the liberal ideology.
Report Post »They pander to all these groups that don’t like eachother but for some reason figure as long as they vote for the same party, it’ll bring them all together.
Muslims don’t like gays
Black and hispanic communities don’t like gays.
No one likes environmentalist
Hispanic don’t believe in abortion on demand
rangerp
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:11pm@fulcrum
Study Saul Alinsky. It is all about bringing the groups together.
here is what most on the left do have in common with each other, and the muslims. they had America, they hate Israel, they hate the Bible, and they hate truth.
Report Post »TreeTrimmerJim
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 11:45pmUsers need useful idiots.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:36pmIf Reverend Jesse Jackson was a Republican, the gays would be out in force denouncing him?
But all we hear are crickets. Hypocrites!
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:55pmJackson is a repube plant.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:34pm@ Republisheep
So Jackson will be an undercover agent for the Republicans from the time he was born to the time he dies?
What are you smoking?
You know if you smoke too much all you are good for is trolling :)
Report Post »ares338
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:36pmYou don’t mean?……It can’t be true!…..Dems would never discriminate against anyone.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:58pmRemember how Hillary & Bill would use the J word against each other.
Report Post »AmericanPrideisAlive
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:35pmYou’re a class act Uncle Jesse!
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:44pmJesse typifies why American Christianity is struggling. If HE is the caliber of minister that stands behind the pulpit, then what can we expect from the congregations? A leader can only take people to where he is, or has been.
Report Post »grannyjojo
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 8:09pmSorry, he does NOT typify Christians in America. He TYPIFIES whats wrong with SOME Christians. Most people know that what Jackson preaches is NOT Biblicly based, its SOCIALISM based. I cringe every single time I hear him called PREACHER or MINISTER. He is the LAST person I would go to for Biblical guidance or anything else. I believe a person who is called by the Lord to minister or teach The Word is held to a higher standard in the Lord’s eyes. Therefore when one PURPORTS to be a minister of the gospel, such as Jackson or Wright and they send Christians down the wrong path (not of the world of God) they will receive much harsher judgements. I do thank the Lord that Jackson AND Wright are being exposed as to what they truely believe in and I would never want to be in their shoes for one second due to the harm they are causing. May God bless all. “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess”
Report Post »BufordTJustice
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:56pmJJ is not Christian he simply uses it to try to benefit from the title. Reverend MLK came along so JJ had to try to jump on that bandwagon.
Report Post »TheLeftMadeMeRight
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 10:48amJessie will have some explaining to do when the gate keeper asks him how he went through his life making huge amounts of money while claiming to be a man of the cloth. I don’t believe for a minute that he is only misguided. Talk about getting rich off the backs of the poor.
Report Post »BowHuntingTexas
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:32pmWeeeelllllllllll.
Sounds like Ole Jesse’s Rainbow is a little more colorful than people thought.
Report Post »eat-more-bacon-USA
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:32pmWhatever – anyone who would chose to work for Jesse Jackass is an idiot anyway, so who cares? All diseased rats look the same to me.
Report Post »eat-more-bacon-USA
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:39pmShould be “choose” to work …
Report Post »Redscot
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:30pmIt does not sound far-fetched or unlikely. It sounds reasonable, considering Jackson. I find it disgusting real or otherwise.
Report Post »scrapadapolis
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:25pmwait till the outcome..sharpton was there too.and twanley took pics..
Report Post »db321
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:22pmLISTEN UP – If you attend Rev Jackson’s Church – DON’T WALK – RUN out of the CHURCH Immediately – and get in to a Church that is teaches from the Bible.
Report Post »HowardSternIsABigot
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:20pmThe revrum was just being diverse and he has announced he is seeking solace and healing with a transsexual now, as well. Lord I pray it isnt Chaz.
Report Post »SHOWMESTATEGUY
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:18pmSuch language coming from a reverend. But then, maybe he never was a “real” reverend.
Report Post »Bowmaster
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:17pmI‘d break his balls too if he used his sexual orientation to claim anything a straight person didn’t receive.
Report Post »On a job app. It doesn’t ASK sexual orientation, and in my experience in the past, some gays go out of their way to be sure you know they are gay.
Then when it comes back to bite them, they claim harassment.
I like women, but in most work situations go out of my way to make sure I dont offend any of them.
It doesent mean I don’t think about it, I just keep my stupid horny mouth shut, and eyes forward.
Why can’t gays just shut up about it, and, and not wear it on their sleeve?
Aren’t the liberals supposed to be the tolerant people, or are they just people like everyone else, pretending to be tolerant?
SLAPTHELEFT
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:13pmthey just need their itchy thighs rubbed with a petroleum based cream so that their $5000 italian suit slacks dont get them all chafed up. Lets not blame the gay staffer here. At least he had some type of standards and jesses catchers mitt of a face and cialis just wasnt making his thermometer rise. Even a gay man has to push back occasionally.
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:17pmKnew Jackson was a pervert and a hypocrite. This just helps confirm it. He isn’t a man of god he is a rabble rousing racist frim the rainbow coalition, who continues to live a do as I say not as I do life.
When Obumbler loses and the riots start Ol Jesse will be egging the loters and rioters on to take from whitey but he willl be nowhere to be seen. He is a coward as well as a bigot.
OMG – Psalm 109:
Report Post »WithOutGodWePerishAsARepublic
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:06pmWhat no ACLU or Al Sharpton comments ..??? :-)
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:37pmI checked a popular gay blog. I don‘t know what its’ Alexa rating is, but I am sure that it has more traffic than say Perez Hilton’s blog. And they are smarter than Perez’ bunch.
Anyway I search the blog for Jesse Jackson & this scandal. Nothing!
Mr Bennett will have to take one for the team because he ain’t getting any help.
Report Post »netmail
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:01pmOh Rev….did you really ask the gay guy to rub cream on your inner thigh? I guess you DON’T discriminate then do you? By the way, I’ve never done it, but rubbing cream on your own inner thigh isn’t all that difficult is it??
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:04pmO.K. I’ll say it….”Stay out da Bushes!”
Report Post »netmail
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:19pmWhy is it always “bushes” fault?
Report Post »Dirty Harry
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:35pmThe black community needs some new leaders. The ones they have now are…bringing up the rear
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:58pmDoes this surprise anybody?
Report Post »avenger
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:07pmso what else is new…
Report Post »Restored One
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:33pmNot with a name like Rainbow Push. Sounds like a gay organization anyway.
Report Post »hughglass
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:57pmJackson is a bum. Something like this is long overdue.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:29pmI agree.
Report Post »drago
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:02amHughglass said, “jackson is a bum”, or likes it in the bum………
Report Post »rpp
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:55pmWow. And he calls it the “Rainbow Coalition”.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:29pmThe Rainbow of the Rainbow Push coalition has in Jesse’s mind no pink band in it.
Report Post »iwantmydamncountryback
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:51pmi wouldnt doubt it. jackson is as far from a man of God as one can be. this is the same guy who cheated on his wife and got another woman pregnant, and said he wanted to cut odumbo’s balls off. hey jesse get the checkbook out and write a nice fat check jerk
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:47pmSuch a big tent over on the left.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:47pm.
Report Post »He was employed by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. When asked if he jumped, he replied “Just a little at first”. Rev, Jackson could not be found for comment…………..
biohazard23
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:04pmOMG, thanks for the laugh!!!!
Report Post »RA0725
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:21pmOoowwww.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:45pm.
Report Post »Jessie you nasty thang you. Gay Booty Call what’s up with that?………….
Chuck Stein
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 6:02pm“Not that there’s anything wrong with that . . .” — Seinfeld
Report Post »