Kinko’s Denies Local NAACP’s Allegations of Discrimination

VENTURA — Kinko’s Inc., which operates an international chain of copying centers, on Tuesday strongly denied allegations by the Ventura County chapter of the NAACP that the corporation engages in practices discriminatory to African Americans.

In a one-page statement, Kinko’s spokeswoman Laura McCormick acknowledged that the corporation has worked with Renaissance Communications Inc., the Las Vegas company at the source of the allegations.

The 300-member NAACP chapter based in Oxnard has accused Kinko’s, which is headquartered in Ventura, of refusing to do business with Renaissance because the company is owned by an African American woman, Monique Linder.

Kinko’s said those charges are false.

“The reality of the matter is that Kinko’s worked with Renaissance Communications to test a program that did not produce acceptable results and was therefore discontinued,” McCormick said in the statement.

The accusations by the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People were also backed by the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc., both based in Washington.

“Unfortunately for us, these three organizations . . . have inaccurately and unfairly accused Kinko’s of racial discrimination,” McCormick wrote.

“For the record, Kinko’s has a strong track record of minority outreach activities in our hiring, operations and community activities,” McCormick wrote. “Currently we have national Partnership in Education programs underway that have contributed over $2 million to public schools, many in the inner cities. From national programs down to career training and preparation activities we offer at Oxnard High School, the men and women of Kinko’s provide a diversity of services to a diverse world.”

Kinko’s Santa Barbara-based attorney, William Degen, said Linder’s lawyer, Stephen Math, first contacted him regarding the matter late last week.

Linder hired Math in an attempt to recoup money she says she lost after Kinko’s awarded her small company a contract to produce long-distance phone cards.

Nearly five years later, after Linder spent $1.5 million to fulfill the contract, Kinko’s backed out of the agreement, Math said. Linder has threatened to file a suit against Kinko’s unless the company reimburses her the $1.5 million.

Degen said such claims were not “clearly spelled out” during his discussion with Math.

“He wouldn’t even commit to the fact that he was representing her,” Degen said. “I don’t even know what the allegations are. I’m aware that she was, for some reason, not happy with Kinko’s.”

He said Kinko’s in no way discriminates against minority-owned companies.

“I can assure you that’s not the way Kinko’s does business,” he said.