Paula Deen's Accuser: 5 Things to Know About Lisa Jackson

Paula Deen's Accuser: 5 Things to Know About Lisa Jackson

If it weren't for Lisa Jackson, Paula Deen's past use of racial slurs might've never made their way into the spotlight.

But Jackson, the plaintiff in the lawsuit against Deen, made the chef's use of the N-word into national news, causing fallout from fans, sponsors and partners alike.

But who exactly is Ms. Jackson? Here are five things you need to know about Deen's accuser.

1. She Is White: Jackson insists her lawsuit against the TV personality "has never been about the N-word." In a statement issued to CNN via her attorney, she explained that the suit "is to address Ms. Deen's patterns of disrespect and degradation of people that she deems to be inferior."

"I may be a white woman, but I could no longer tolerate her abuse of power as a business owner, nor her condonation [sic] of Mr. Hiers' (Deen's brother, Bubba Hiers,  is also named in the suit) despicable behavior on a day-to-day basis," she added.

2. She Has Substantial History With the Deen Empire: Jackson worked as the general manager Deen and Hiers' Savannah restaurant Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House for five years. She quit in August 2010, alleging that she left under the advisement of her physician because of panic attacks and other stress-related health conditions she suffered while working at the Georgia eatery. 

3. She Claims There Was Also Sexual Harassment in the Working Environment: The focus now is clearly on the racial controversy stirred up by Jackson's filing, but she also claimed that Hiers made sexually inappropriate comments to her, distributed inappropriate pictures to employees and watched pornography in the office. 

4. Team Deen Is Trying to Use Prop 8 to Dismiss Her Case: Lawyers for Deen are citing the June 26 strikedown of California's Prop 8, which originally banned gay marriage, as a reason Jackson's suit should be dismissed. Deen's attorneys cited Chief Justice John Roberts' opinion on the Hollingsworth vs. Perry Prop 8 case. Roberts decided that a plaintiff must prove they've "suffered a concrete and particularized injury that is fairly traceable to the challenged conduct."

Deen's lawyers interpreted this as meaning that, "in other words, for a federal court to have authority under the Constitution to settle a dispute, the party before it must seek a remedy for a personal and tangible harm." According to team Deen's POV, because Jackson is Caucasian, she doesn't have the standing to bring the case forward because she didn't personally suffer from race discrimination.

5.. She Kinda Mocked Deen's "I Is What I Is" Grammar Gaffe: On June 26, Deen apologized profusely on Today, tearfully asking for forgiveness and promising that she is not, in fact, a racist. "If there's anyone out there that have never said something that they wish they could take back, if you're out there, please pick up that stone and throw it so hard at my head that it kills me," she said to camera. "Please, I want to meet you. I is what I is, and I'm not changing."

In Jackson's statement issued Monday, she seemed to touch upon that not-quite-correct Deen quote, saying, "I am what I am, and I am a human being that cares about all races, and that is why I feel it is important to be the voice for those who are too afraid to use theirs."


This is getting complicated, y'all.