A Filipino housekeeper who applied to work in the Upper East Side home of billionaire industrialist Leonard Blavatnik was allegedly turned down for the job because of her nationality. After spending a trial day working in the house cleaning the fireplace and vacuuming the floors, the woman, 55-year-old Esther Winkley, never heard back about the position. After a few weeks the headhunter who set her up with the job inquired with the Blavatnik's bulter, the magnificently named Wilfredo Balmaceda, who tersely replied, "No Philippines, thanks," in an email obtained by the Daily News.
"It was pure discrimination," headhunter Adrian Smith tells the News. And Winkley, who came to the U.S. in 2009 to earn money for her children's education, says, "It's disturbing to see that email." She filed a complaint with the city Human Rights Commission yesterday, and an investigation is underway. In the email, the butler also added, "a great worker, but she's not a good fit for the family."
The House of Blavatnik insists it doesn't discriminate; in fact, many of Blavatnik's housekeeping employees are from the Phillipines (or so they claim). "Any charge of discrimination by the Blavatniks is preposterous," Blavatnik's spokesman said in a statement. "Mr. Smith had been sending unqualified candidates to the Blavatniks for months. The email, though perhaps poorly worded, was intended to reaffirm that Mr. Smith needed to start drawing from a different candidate pool and provide qualified individuals." Winkley, by the way, had previously worked as a maid to a wealthy family for nearly 25 years.
