Hello, the reason for this petition is to bring awareness to the discrimination towards me from the Hub City Farmers in Spartanburg South Carolina. The Hub City Farmers market is a non-profit organization and has a constant need for grants, sponsorships and individual tax-deductible contributions, to run their market. Two claims of which the money is needed for is to create jobs and improve public health, by extending access to healthy foods. The discrimination treatment started on June 5th 2014. Mr. Brendan Buttimer (executive director) and Mrs. Devon Gray (market manager) have engaged in a pattern of discrimination towards me. I have proof, that they’ve reached out to past market managers and vendors, to coerce them to speak badly about me, with hopes to bring confusion into this matter and tarnish my character, before this gets to Federal Court. The Hub City Farmers market also violated my constitutional rights. The NEW executive director Mr. Brendan Buttimer told me that I was intimidating and needed to go away because my PRESCENCE was not needed at THEIR market. My character has NEVER been in question at the Hub City Farmers Market or ANY other place for that matter, as long as I’ve been running my small business. Mr. Brendan Buttimer is AGGRESSIVE and EXTREMELY confrontational. I’ve reached out to everyone on the Hub City Farmers market board, their sponsors and everyone on our Spartanburg City Council. No one has yet tried to mediate, assist me or return any of my calls. The Hub City Farmers market staff allowed vendors to LIE on me and, said “at the vendor’s request, that they weren’t going to tell me what I’ve said or did at the market, and that I needed to go away.” I was NEVER once giving the chance to defend myself. Mr. Buttimer has always treated me different and made me feel uncomfortable. I’ve never been allowed to move at the market, others have always had privileged spaces. The Hub City Farmers market staff has squeezed tents between a vendor and me, forcing me to move over, because the vendor requested NOT to be placed near me. This has happened on several occasions. This type of behavior should not be supported with, tax payers money, grant money or sponsors money. I feel that some sponsors, board members and our city councils are supporting Mr. Buttimer’s and Ms. Devon Gray, discriminatory behavior, by not reaching out or assisting with any mediation or resolution. This really concerns us because, their taking their market to the heart of an African American community. Sincerely Diane Orijin Tea founder
