In Oklahoma, a former employee of American Piping Inspection, Inc. will receive $250,000 after claiming to have experienced racial discrimination at the company. According to the lawsuit, the employee, who is Black, was subjected to a hostile work environment in which his white supervisor made racially charged comments and jokes about shooting Black people. The supervisor also allegedly told the employee that he was “lucky” he wasn’t born in Africa, where he would have been killed or sold into slavery. The employee reported the incident to human resources, but no action was taken.
The supervisor also allegedly used racial slurs when referring to other Black employees. When employe complained to management about the harassment, he was told that his supervisor was “just joking” and that he should “take it like a man.” Johnson was eventually fired after he refused to sign a written warning that had been issued to him for allegedly not following safety procedures.
The EEOC’s lawsuit claimed that American Piping Inspection, Inc. violated federal law by subjecting an employee to a racially hostile work environment and then firing him in retaliation for complaining about the harassment. Under the terms of the settlement, American Piping Inspection, Inc. will pay Johnson $250,000 and will provide training on anti-discrimination policies and procedures for all employees.
