Feeble Rationalizations for Discrimination

How many of the following rationalizations for discrimination have you encountered in the workplace?

1. We want our department to reflect the make-up of the community and we already have enough of that group.
2. Women are expected to help one another. After all, men have done the same thing for years.
3. She's going to want to start a family soon and we need someone who won't be off on maternity leave.
4. He's in his sixties. I'd feel uncomfortable supervising someone who's older than I am and he probably wouldn't want to take orders from a kid.
5. She has an accent.
6. His disability would make others ill at ease and we'd have to make some architectural changes.
7. She wears a crucifix. The last thing we need is someone trying to convert people around here.
8. His clothes were nice but a little loud for our industry.
9. I heard from a friend that this applicant had a drinking problem a few years ago.
10. There's no such thing as "the best qualified."
11. He's not the best qualified, but if we hire him, we'll get the federal compliance people off of our backs.
12. She's not the best qualified but I'm afraid of a discrimination complaint.
13. I know that he's worked in the job for five years but he doesn't have a college degree.
14. How can a person that old know anything about computers?
15. I don't want a man as a receptionist.
16. Sure she's qualified but do you think our "good old boy" clients will take her seriously?
17. I don't think his experience in the military gives him any management experience. He's just used to barking orders.
18. He's effeminate.
19. With that extra weight, she's sort of disabled.
20. We've never had an employee like that. Do you think she'll fit in?