Four Boys Charged with Sexually Assaulting 8-year-old
Phoenix Police have charged four boys, all children of Liberian immigrants, with sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, whom they allegedly lured into a vacant storage shed with chewing gum. Police say that the suspects – ages 9, 10, 13 and 14 – restrained the girl and sexually assaulted her on July 16. The boys all live in the same apartment complex, police said. The 14-year-old is being charged as an adult. The girl has been placed in the custody of Phoenix Child Protective Services because of her parents’ attitude toward her, police said.

Judge Says NYC Fire Dept. Discriminates
Because of discrimination within New York City’s Fire Department, Blacks and Hispanics account for only 10 percent of its workforce, despite the fact that most residents are minorities, a judge ruled Wednesday. “These numbers stand in stark contrast to some of the nation’s other large cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Houston, where minority firefighters have been represented in significantly higher percentages,” U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis wrote, agreeing with U.S. Department of Justice and a fraternal order of Black firefighters. Justice and the Black firefighters group found that disparities among those taking firefighter recruitment exams in 1999 and 2002 were so wide that no trial was needed to rule against the city. The city used the exams to appoint more than 5,300 entry-level firefighters between 1999 and 2007, “cheating at least 1,000 minority firefighters of chances to join a force of roughly 11,000 at the Fire Department of New York,” The Associated Press reported. Some 3,100 exam candidates were Black and 4,200 were Hispanic; still, the city appointed only 184 Black firefighters and 461 Hispanic firefighters, he said. “Black and Hispanic applicants had disproportionately failed the written examinations and those who passed were placed disproportionately lower down the hiring lists than Whites.” He said he must now consider remedies.

Black Women Don’t Stick with Law Firms
Three in four Black women lawyers will leave their firms within five years after slamming into the proverbial glass ceiling, a new study has found. “Those who leave often report experiencing institutional discrimination and unwanted and or unfair critical attention, which combine to create an exclusionary and challenging workplace,” according to the report by Catalyst, a women’s research group. Citing earlier studies, Catalyst noted that employers pay dearly when they lose an attorney. In fact, the group said, the cost is equal to or greater than the departing lawyer’s annual salary and benefits. Among the challenges unique to non-White women, according to Catalyst, are limited growth opportunities and a heightened sense of “outsider status;” more racial and gender stereotyping and experiences of sexism; lack of access to high-profile client assignments; and missed opportunities for candid feedback, the report said.

Super Bowl QB Accused of Sexual Assault
A Nevada woman is suing two-time Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, claiming he sexually assaulted her last year, The Associated Press reports. “This weekend Andrea McNulty served Ben Roethlisberger with a civil complaint accusing him of sexually assaulting her in July 2008” Roethlisberger’s Atlanta-based attorney, David Cornwell, said Monday. “Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone, especially Andrea McNulty. The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct. If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully, and Ben will be fully exonerated.” Details of the suit were not available late Monday night. Roethlisberger was one of nine defendants listed in the online court docket report.

Ramirez passes Mantle on Homerun List
Manny Ramirez hit his 537th home run Monday to pass Mickey Mantle and move into 15th place on the all-time homer list. The feat helped Ramirez’s Los Angeles Dodgers to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 7-5. ”I signed here so I could be on a winning team and have a chance to go to the playoffs and get a World Series ring,” said Ramirez’s teammate, pitcher Jason Schmidt, who made his first start in two seasons. In fact, it was only Schmidt’s seventh start since the Dodgers signed him to a three-year $47 million contract in 2006. “To get a pickup like Manny is going to put us right there,” Schmidt added. ”I was disappointed not to have that opportunity over the last few years to contribute, but hopefully I can help out a little bit. … ‘It was an emotional day. ‘It’s been a struggle. I didn’t want it to take this long, but unfortunately, it did. Before the game, driving here and getting all the phone calls and text messages from everybody, there was a lot of buildup. It was fun, and I’m glad we came out on the winning end of it.”