www.theaustinvillager.com HEADLINES Page 5 ~ THE VILLAGER/August 20, 2021 Data of more than Home Depot forced Years in the making, 40 million exposed in employee wearing R Kelly sex abuse trial T-Mobile breach Black Lives Matter gets underway By TOM HAYS | Associated Press Associated Press NEWS slogan to quit: report

by Biba Adams THE GRIO (The GRIO) - A complaint issued last week by an office of the National Labor Relations Board al- NEW YORK (AP) — The names, Social Security leges that a worker at Home Depot was forced to numbers and information from driver’s licenses or quit after he wore the slogan “Black Lives Matter” R. Kelly other identification of just over 40 million former on his work apron. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, file) and prospective customers that applied for T-Mo- The complaint, which was filed on Thursday, NEW YORK (AP) — A prosecutor described sex bile credit were exposed in a recent data breach, alleges that the home retail giant engaged in coer- abuse claims against R&B star R. Kelly Wednesday, the company said Wednesday. cive statements and concerted activities, including saying the long-anticipated trial now underway was The same data for about 7.8 million current T- retaliation, discharge, discipline, as well as coercive “about a predator” who used his fame to entice Mobile postpaid customers appears to be compro- rules and coercive actions against the unnamed girls, boys and young women before dominating and mised. No phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, employee. The incidents occurred at a Minneapolis controlling them physically, sexually and psychologi- passwords, or financial information from the nearly store, however, the exact time frame has not been cally. 50 million records and accounts were compromised, disclosed. “This case is not about a celebrity who likes to it said. According to The New York Times, the com- party a lot,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Cruz T-Mobile also confirmed that approximately pany told the employee to stop wearing the logo or Melendez told the Brooklyn jury as she explained 850,000 active T-Mobile prepaid customer names, leave sometime this year. When he refused, he was the evidence to be revealed at his federal trial. phone numbers and account PINs were exposed. suspended. The company reiterated its demand that “This case is about a predator,” she said. The company said that it proactively reset all of the the employee stop wearing the logo or quit. She said he invited children and women to join PINs on those accounts. No Metro by T-Mobile, Minneapolis was the site of extensive racial him after shows by distributing backstage passes. former Sprint prepaid, or Boost customers had their unrest in 2020 after the police murder of George Once he had them alone, Melendez said, he names or PINs exposed. Floyd by former Minneapolis Police officer Derek “dominated and controlled them physically, sexu- There was also some additional information Chauvin. That summer, Home Depot released a ally and psychologically.” from inactive prepaid accounts accessed through statement denouncing Floyd’s death, writing, “We The prosecutor said Kelly would often record prepaid billing files. T-Mobile said that no customer are all confronting deep pain and anguish over the sex acts with minors as he controlled a racketeer- financial information, credit card information, debit senseless killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, ing enterprise of individuals who were loyal and or other payment information or Social Security and other unarmed Black men and women in our devoted to him, eager to “fulfill each and everyone numbers were in the inactive file. country.” one of the defendant’s wishes and demands.” The announcement comes two days after T- “We cannot ignore that their deaths are part “What his success and popularity brought him Mobile said that it was investigating a leak of its data of a pattern of racism and reflect the harsh reality was access, access to girls, boys and young women,” after someone took to an online forum offering to that as a nation we are much too far from fulfilling she said. sell the personal information of cellphone users. the promise of equal justice for all,” it continued. A lawyer for Kelly was expected to deliver an The company said Monday that it had con- “We must stand with all who are committed to opening statement after Melendez completed hers. firmed there was unauthorized access to “some T- change that will bring us closer to realizing an end The openings came more than a decade after Mobile data” and that it had closed the entry point to discrimination and hatred.” Kelly was acquitted in a 2008 child pornography case used to gain access. The company committed $1 million to the Law- in Chicago. It was a reprieve that allowed his music The company said that it will immediately of- yers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which career to continue until the #MeToo era caught up fer two years of free identity protection services and works to secure civil rights and equal justice for all. with him, emboldening alleged victims to come for- is recommending that all of its postpaid customers According to a statement from the NLRB’s Min- ward. change their PIN. Its investigation is ongoing. neapolis office, the employee wore the “Black Lives The women’s stories got wide exposure with T-Mobile, which is based in Bellevue, Washing- Matter” slogan and spoke to other Home Depot em- the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” The ton, became one of the country’s largest cellphone ployees and managers at the store about racial ha- series explored how an entourage of supporters service carriers, along with AT&T and Verizon, after rassment there — all of which is covered by the protected Kelly and silenced his victims for decades, buying rival Sprint. National Labor Relations Act. foreshadowing a federal racketeering conspiracy T-Mobile has previously disclosed a number of “Issues of racial harassment directly impact the case that landed in Kelly in jail in 2019. data breaches over the years, including in Nov. 2019 working conditions of employees,” noted Jennifer Prosecutors in Brooklyn have lined up multiple and Aug. 2018, both of which involved unauthorized Hadsall, Region 18 regional director. “The NLRA pro- female accusers — mostly referred to in court as access to customer information. In 2015, hackers tects employees’ rights to raise these issues with “Jane Does” — and cooperating former associates stole personal information belonging to about 15 the goal of improving their working conditions. It is who have never spoken publicly before about their million T-Mobile wireless customers and potential this important right we seek to protect in this case.” experiences with Kelly. customers in the U.S., which they obtained from Home Depot has released a statement via They’re expected to offer testimony about how credit reporting agency Experian. email to The New York Times saying that the facts Kelly’s managers, bodyguards and other employees in the case were misrepresented by the labor board. helped him recruit women and girls — and some- ’s Sara Gorman, a spokeswoman for the company, times boys — for sexual exploitation. They say the said, “The Home Depot does not tolerate workplace group selected victims at concerts and other ven- grandson Nico Ali Walsh harassment of any kind and takes all reports of dis- ues and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly in crimination or harassment seriously, as we did in the area and elsewhere, in violation wins first boxing match this case.” of the Mann Act, the 1910 law that made it illegal by Biba Adams | THE GRIO to “transport any woman or girl” across state lines mother, motivational “for any immoral purpose.” (The GRIO) - Nico Ali been thinking about him so speaker Rasheda Ali, wrote When the women and girls arrived at their Walsh, the grandson of leg- much. I miss him, and it’s I’ll Hold Your Hand So You lodgings, a member of Kelly’s entourage would set endary boxer Muhammad just an emotional journey.” Won’t Fall: A Child’s Guide down rules about not speaking to each other, how Ali, wore a pair of his Bob Arum, the to Parkinson’s Disease, a they should dress and how they needed permission grandfather’s boxing founder of Top Rank Box- book inspired by her chil- from Kelly before eating or going to the bathroom, shorts for his professional ing and early Muhammad dren and her father. boxing debut on Saturday Ali supporter, celebrated His aunt, Laila Ali, has prosecutors say. Also, they allegedly were required night. Ali Walsh’s accomplish- been heralded as the most Walsh to call him “Daddy.” The middleweight ments on Twitter, writing, successful female boxer in shorts for the first and fi- Defense lawyers have countered by saying bested Jordan Weeks with “What a magical night for the history of women’s nal time as a professional Kelly’s alleged victims were groupies who turned a first-round TKO in their this young man. His grand- boxing. The mother of two fighter. I’m more than up at his shows and made it known they “were dy- fight at the Hard Rock Ho- father would have been so is also a fitness and proud to say: The Legacy ing to be with him.” The women only started accus- tel & Casino Tulsa in proud of the way he’s hon- wellness advocate, TV Continues…” ing him of abuse years later when public sentiment Catoosa, Oklahoma. oring him in his own way. host, home chef and In an interview ear- shifted against him, they said. The 21-year-old is the We at Top Rank are look- founder of the Laila Ali lier this week with The Kelly, 54, is perhaps best known for his smash son of author Rasheda Ali, ing forward to leading him lifestyle brand. New York Times, Ali Walsh hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” a 1996 song that became an who is Muhammad Ali’s on his professional jour- In a moving weekend said he has never been inspirational anthem played at school graduations, daughter, and chef Bob ney.” post on Instagram, Ali able to “escape” his grand- weddings, advertisements and elsewhere. Walsh. was held in Walsh wrote, father and his lasting “This lived up com- front of an enthusiastic “Alhamdulillah for the vic- legacy. An anonymous jury made up of seven men and pletely to my expecta- Oklahoma crowd that in- tory! I’m blessed and hon- “I’m starting to em- five women was sworn in to hear the case. The trial, tions,” Ali Walsh said after cluded Ali Walsh’s godfa- ored to say that I continued brace it,” he maintained. coming after several delays due mostly to the pan- Saturday’s victory. “This is ther, Public Enemy icon history tonight. Thank you “It’s very hard to do, but demic, unfolds under coronavirus precautions re- something I only dreamed Flavor Flav. from the bottom of my you have to embrace the stricting the press and the public to overflow court- of. It’s been an emotional Muhammad Ali died heart to everyone that legacy, no matter what it is. rooms with video feeds. journey this whole ride, in June 2016 after a supported me!” Everybody becomes stron- The New York case is only part of the legal peril these last couple months.” lengthy battle with He noted, “I brought ger when they embrace facing the singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly. He also He added, “Obvi- Parkinson’s disease. my grandfather in the ring what they’re destined to has pleaded not guilty to sex-related charges in Illi- ously, my grandfather, I’ve The young boxer’s with me by wearing his do.” nois and Minnesota.