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An Oklahoma-based company has settled a lawsuit alleging that a supervisor used the N-word to refer to a Black employee and made racist and threatening “jokes.”
American Piping Inspection, Inc. struck a deal with federal prosecutors and agreed to pay $250,000 in compensation over the alleged racist treatment of a Black employee, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a news release per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The federal lawsuit stemmed from the company’s Midland, Texas office where the employee was hired as a radiographer in 2017. According to the suit, his boss made jokes about shooting Black people.
“What is the best way to see a Black man? At the end of a scope,” the supervisor said as he gestured at the employee “as if aiming a firearm,” per the suit.
When the employee voiced his concerns to a company vice president, the supervisor faced no consequences and the racist behavior continued, the lawsuit states. The suit also alleges that the employee was a victim of retaliation, citing his termination in September 2018.
The company falsely accused the employee of improperly storing and logging equipment, an infraction that “at least” 10 white radiographers committed and weren’t fired for, the lawsuit says.
Following the settlement deal, the company is also required to “revise its anti-discrimination policies” and mandate training for managers and other employees to “ensure they know their legal obligation to prevent, address, and remedy workplace discrimination,” the EEOC news release states.
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