Paul Deen Desposition Testimony "The Plantation"

...................... ...................... ..................... (Lawyers twist facts and testimony. The lady only indicated she admired the old south style of a restaurant with black waiters who were, "middle-aged black men, and they had on beautiful white jackets with a black bow tie." She also said, "I would love for Bubba to experience a very southern stylewedding, and we did that.") Story Reports ....................... Paula Deen Deposition Testimony Paula Deen Deposition Testimony 61.The racially discriminatory attitudes pervade the workplace. An example,showing that Paula Deen holds such racist views herself, occurred after DefendantDeen placed Ms. Jackson in charge of food and serving arrangements for thewedding of her brother Bubba Hiers in February 2007. When Ms. Jackson asked Ms. Deen what the wedding should have, Ms. Deen replied, “I want a truesouthern plantation-style wedding.” 62. When asked by Ms. Jackson what type of uniforms she preferred serversto wear, Paula Deen stated, “Well what I would really like is a bunch of little n-----s to wear long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties, you know inthe Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around.” Paula Deen laughed and said “Now that would be a true southern wedding, wouldn’t it? But we can’tdo that because the media would be on me about that.” ......................... Q. Okay. So was Lisa ever present when you discussed with Brandon what kind of wedding you’d like to have? A. I don’t recall that. I recall – I do recall, once again, in my bathroom at that house, and why we would have been in the bathroom, I was probably filming and changing clothes, that’s the only reason why we would havebeen in that bathroom, they must have run out during my lunch break or something from filming, and I remember us talking about the meal. And I remember telling them about a restaurant that my husband and I had recently visited. And I’m wanting to think it was in Tennessee or North Carolina or somewhere, and it was so impressive. The whole entirewait staff was middle-aged black men, and they had on beautiful white jackets with a black bow tie. I mean, it was really impressive. And I remember saying I would love to have servers like that, I said, but I would be afraid somebody would misinterpret. Q. The media might misinterpret it? A. Yes, or whomever – Q. Okay. A. -- is so shallow that they would read something into it. Q. Were they dressed in white shorts and bow ties? A. No, they were dressed in white jackets. Q. White jackets? A. Dinner jackets. Q. And a bow tie? A. And a bow tie and black trousers, and they were incredible. Q. Okay. And you said something – A. These were men that had made their living off of service and people in arestaurant. Q. Right. A. It was – I was so impressed. Q. Okay. And they were all black men? A. Yes. Professional servers and waiters. Q. And when you described it to Miss Jackson, did you mention the race of – well, you had to have mentioned the race of the servers – A. Of course I would – Q. -- because that’s the part that – A. -- because that’s what we just experienced. Q. Right. Do you know what word you used to identify their race? A. I would have used just what I just told you. Q. Black or African-American? A. Black. I would use the word black. Q. Okay. A. I don’t usually use African-Americans. Q. Okay. A. I try to go with whatever the black race is wanting to call themselves at each given time. I try to go along with that and remember that. Q. Okay. So is there any reason that you could not have done something just like that but with people of different races? A. Well, that’s what made it. Mr. Franklin: Objection. Mr. Withers: Object to form. Q You can answer. A. That’s what made it so impressive. These were professional. I’m not talking about somebody that’s been a waiter for two weeks. I’m talking about these were professional middle-aged men, that probably made avery, very good living – Q. Okay. A. -- at this restaurant. They were trained. The – it – it was the whole picture, the setting of the restaurant, the servers, their professionalism. Q. Is there any reason you couldn’t have found middle-aged professional servers who were of different races? Mr. Franklin: Objection, relevance.The Witness: Listen, it was not important enough to me to even fight, to reproduce what that restaurant had. I was just simply expressing an experience that my husband and I had, and I was so impressed. Q. Did you describe it as a – that that would be a true southern wedding,words to that effect? A. I don’t know. Q. Do you recall using the words “really southern plantation wedding”? A. Yes, I did say I would love for Bubba to experience a very southern stylewedding, and we did that. We did that. Q. Okay. You would love for him to experience a southern style plantationwedding? A. Yes.Q. That’s what you said? A. Well, something like that, yes. And – Q. Okay. And is that when you went on to describe the experience you had at the restaurant in question? A. Well, I don’t know. We were probably talking about the food or – wewould have been talking about something to do with service at thewedding, and – Q. Is there any possibility, in your mind, that you slipped and used the word “n----r”? A. No, because that’s not what these men were. They were professionalblack men doing a fabulous job. Q. Why did that make it a – if you would have had servers like that, whywould that have made it a really southern plantation wedding? Mr. Franklin: Objection. Relevance. Q. You can answer. A. Well, it – to me, of course I’m old but I ain’t that old, I didn’t live back inthose days but I’ve seen the pictures, and the pictures that I’ve seen, that restaurant represented a certain era in America. Q. Okay. A. And I was in the south when I went to this restaurant. It was located in thesouth. Q. Okay. What era in America are you referring to? A. Well, I don’t know. After the Civil War, during the Civil War, before theCivil War. Q. Right. Back in an era where there were middle-aged black men waitingon white people. A. Well, it was not only black men, it was black women. Q. Sure. And before the Civil War – before the Civil War, those black menand women who were waiting on white people were slaves, right? A. Yes, I would say that they were slaves. Q. Okay. A. But I did not mean anything derogatory by saying that I loved their look and their professionalism. Q. Up until May 27th , 2010, you had no complaints or problems with Mrs. Deen, did you? A. No. Q. She had never indicated any discriminatory bias or prejudice, did she? A. Yes. One remark she made at Bubba’s wedding planning. Q. Were you there – A. Yes. Q. -- at the planning? Now, you tell me, when did that occur and where? A. On her back porch. Q. Which house, Dogwood? A. Dogwood. We were sitting on the back porch and we asked about theuniforms. And she made a remark about how she wanted them dressed. Q. Who was there? A. It was Bubba, and me, and Paula. Q. Bubba, you, and who? A. Paula. Q. Okay. What did she say about how she wanted them dressed? A. Like they used to dress in the Shirley Temple days with the long whiteshirts and the shorts. And I remember thinking when she said it that I thought about Dora. And I thought, I know she loves – I know you love Dora, and it was likehow could – you know, how could she say something like that. Then a fanrode by on a boat, and she said, well, we know we can’t do that becausethe media would be on us. And I just – at that moment thought – it was disappointing, but I still had respect for the position she had offered me and that I was doing there. Q. And, but was her comment was that she wanted a wedding back in theShirley Temple days with blacks wearing what? A. White shirts. Q. White shirts? A. And black pants or black shorts. Q. And that’s the sum total of the conversation about that; is that correct? A. Uh-huh, correct.