Last night I was up late reading the depositions in the wacky discrimination lawsuit against the Democratic Mayor of Kansas City, Mo, Mark Funkhouser, and his wife, Gloria Squitiro (the suit against the wife has apparently been settled).

The mayor was already in hot water with minority advocates for appointing a member of the Minuteman militia to city Parks Board, but the real problem in the office was apparently his wife. It seems the mayor's wife was constantly at the Mayor's office working as an unofficial "volunteer executive assistant."  But some (all) employees felt that Squitiro was an unwelcome and unhelpful presence and one filed a discrimination suit.  The allegations? 

• Squitiro "at least twice" called Ruth Bates, an African American female employee "Mammy;" and referred to her as "my token black." (Bates is the one filing the suit)
• Squitiro regularly called the other African American female employee, whose first name was Burnetta, "Bernie Mac."

More after the jump!

• When they were going to a predominantly hispanic neighborhood Squitiro said she hoped they didn't throw hot tamales at them.
• Squitirio made constant sexual references, including teasing a shy male employee about "getting some last night." 
• When told her husband couldn't come to the phone because he was in his office with some woman, Squitiro told the employee to instruct her husband to "take his dick out of her ass and come to the phone."
• Described  picking ticks off her husbands testicles to the mayor's chief of staff.
• Was frequently kissing her husband in front of the staff and they would disappear into the restroom together.

Squitiro claims that she was calling the employee "Ma'am EE" as in "Yes sireee" and had no idea that the employee was offended. She also claims that she had no idea that there was another Bernie Mac who was a black comedian.  She said the sexual innuendo was humor because it was her "job" to create a sense of camraderie around the office.However, according to the depositions, many of the campaign staff resigned because of Squitiro and, in fact, the workplace was so unpleasant that some employees cried every day. 

In response to the general unhappiness with Squitiro's presence, the city council passed a law that spouses of political office-holders may not volunteer at their offices.  The mayor vetoed the law and the council overrided the veto.  But the couple won't give up and has filed a lawsuit against the city council.  Now the couple is taking their show on the road, with appearances on Good Morning America and Fox News.

 The depositions are here and they're quite an entertaining read:

• Mayor Mark Funkhouser's deposition
• Gloria Squitiro's deposition
• Burnetta Burten's depsosition

Squitiro's lawyer is quite obnoxious as well, trying to lure Burnetta Burten (who Squitiro called "Bernie Mac") into making or agreeing to stereotypes about Italians (Burten doesn't take the bait) and at one point breaking into the "Name Game," about a water bottle: "Bottle, bottle, bo-ottle, banana-fana  fo-fottle fee-fi-mo-mottle, bottle."