Shirley Sherrod
Former Department of Agriculture worker Shirley Sherrod has opted to make a blogger pay for what she calls libel and slander to her character and she is now suing for an unspecified amount of money. Back in July of last year Ms. Sherrod vowed to hold blogger Andrew Breitbart accountable for releasing a video purporting that she was using her job with the Department of Agriculture to discriminate against a white farmer.
The video in question was in fact a redacted version of an anecdotal speech she had gave years ago that talked about her experience with racial prejudice. In the unaltered video she explained how she would not let that experience influence her role as Agriculture Director to discriminate against anyone. Because of the altered video she was forced out her $100,000 year job. If she in fact wins in her lawsuit, this would send a powerful message to other bloggers who opt fails to adhere to a level of integrity when reporting a story.
The White House later apologized to Sherrod for the handling of the incident, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked her to return to the USDA, but she declined the offer.
