BLADE MANUFACTURER FAILED TO AX HARASSERS
On May 4, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it had filed a hostile work environment and retaliation lawsuit, against a North Dakota-based wind turbine blade manufacturer, LM Wind Power Blades, Inc. – a General Electric affiliate.
Apparently, when referring to an African American employee, his white co-workers used the N-word, called him “monkey,” and other slurs. There were also threats of violence -- like hanging him from a bridge or dragging him behind a truck. Yet despite reporting such misconduct to management, the company failed to take corrective action and opted, instead, to fire the impacted employee in retaliation.
Alleging that such a work environment violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota (Civil Action No. 3:23-cv-086).
In a statement released by the agency, Greg Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, noted, “No person should have to endure hateful racial slurs and threats of violence as the price of coming to work …. Federal discrimination laws make it clear that workplace harassment is illegal, and employers are responsible for stopping it. It is imperative that complaints of harassment be taken seriously and addressed without delay.”
The EEOC’s clearly not monkeying around here.
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