Every work environment may have employees who do not get along or come from different backgrounds. While most every workplace has policies in place to ensure that everyone feels welcome and respected, there are times when discrimination does occur and can lead to legal action against a company. Colorado workers may be interested in a recent case of race discrimination that has six employees seeking action.
The case involves workers at a shipyard. Six former employees are in the midst of suing the shipyard, claiming that they had to contend with slurs for a number of years. The plaintiffs are part of two protected classes of citizens with one being Hispanic and five being black.
According to the plaintiffs, a worker at the shipyard proclaimed that he was a member of the KKK. Another worker claimed he was a neo-Nazi. The men say they were let go from their jobs due to lodging complaints about the conditions or because of their race. The shipyard involved has denied all allegations and says that the men involved were all temporary workers and were hired by an agency.
When a company and workers are embroiled in a race discrimination lawsuit, any evidence of wrongdoing, such as emails or witnesses to slurs, can help or harm an ongoing case. In Colorado, a case of race discrimination can lead to a number of outcomes if the case is successful. An employee who files a successful suit may find that he or she can return to work at a company and be awarded back pay or other benefits he or she may have deserved before the suit was pursued.
Source: hamptonroads.com, “Lyon Shipyard denies race discrimination charges”, Tim McGlone, Nov. 22, 2014