Dallas Utility Workers Claim Racial Discrimination

The Dallas Water Department tolerates racial discrimination, a hostile work environment and retaliation, according to a new federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by 11 African-Americans, one Hispanic and one Asian-American employee.

“It’s business as usual. It’s a good old boy syndrome,” said employee Leroy White.

Among other things, the lawsuit cites a noose displayed in an employee’s car at the Southside Water Treatment Plant two years ago.

Dallas Utility Workers Claim Racial Discrimination
Dallas Utility Workers Claim Racial Discrimination

”Five days later he came with a bigger noose,” said employee Clement Bernard. “He stated it was because he thought I was wrong for making him take the noose out of his truck on city property.”

The city disciplined the employee with the noose and that employee later resigned.

In a prepared statement, city spokesman Frank Librio said the city does not tolerate discrimination.

“The City took corrective measures regarding these situations at the time the allegations were first reported. The City denies that it has engaged in any unlawful conduct,” he said.

The statement said a specific program was developed for the water department to avoid discrimination and a hostile work environment.

But the lawsuit claims discrimination still exists.

“These individuals have raised these complaints with the city of Dallas and with their employers for years,” attorney Jay Ellwanger said. “We’re asking that it stop. We’re asking that our clients be given damages.”

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Click here to view the lawsuit and click here to read the city’s response.

Employees Sue Dallas for Racism

Employees Sue Dallas for Racism: MyFoxDFW.com

DALLAS – From racial slurs to a hangman’s noose, 13 Dallas employees say they’ve had enough. The group has filed a federal lawsuit, which they say outlines a culture of outright racism.
The plaintiffs filed their suit Wednesday. They include black, Hispanic and Asian workers of Dallas Water Utilities.
The employees claim they were threatened, verbally harassed and intimidated by racist graffiti written on bathroom walls. There was also an incident involving a hangman’s noose dangling from a city vehicle, according to the lawsuit.
A statement from the city of Dallas said officials deny the unlawful conduct.
The city said some of the allegations date back seven years and corrective measures were taken then. The statement also said the Department of Justice declined to file a lawsuit in the case.
Watch FOX 4 Matt Grubs’ video story to hear from both the employees and a city spokesman.

13 workers file discrimination lawsuit against Dallas water department

By RUDOLPH BUSH / The Dallas Morning News [email protected]
Published 17 December 2009 11:56 AM
Thirteen Dallas Water Utilities employees filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against City Hall on Wednesday, alleging a pattern of racial discrimination and retaliation dating back years.
The suit paints a picture of the city’s water department as a racially divided institution where discrimination is a normal practice.
Lead plaintiff Leroy White, a black electrician, said he has been subjected to racial slurs and drawings denigrating blacks as he was passed over for promotions for less qualified white employees.
White and the other plaintiffs said they have long been subjected to more work and higher scrutiny than white employees.
“It’s common practice. It’s just the way things are done in the water department,” White said.
In a statement, a city spokesman responded that City Hall has not acted unlawfully or tolerated discrimination.
“The city has not had an opportunity to review all of the allegations. However, many of the allegations concern specific incidents that are several years old, about which the city took corrective measures regarding these situations at the time the allegations were first reported,” the statement said.
The allegations portray a department where workers are segregated by race and where some white employees resort to threats, bribery and deceit to discredit complaints and keep the plaintiffs from being promoted.
Jay Ellwanger, attorney for the plaintiffs, said he and his clients met with Mayor Tom Leppert and City Manager Mary Suhm earlier this year.
Despite that meeting, nothing was done about his clients’ complaints, he said.
The plaintiffs include 11 blacks, one Hispanic and one Asian.
They are seeking unspecified monetary damages and a correction to the alleged discrimination in Water Utilities, Ellwanger said.
In addition to White, the plaintiffs include Terrence Marshall, Arturo Garza, Clement Bernard, Faye Jackson, James Yellowfish, Jewell Taylor, Kevin Gillum, Kevin McArthur, Marcus Greer, Micheal Roberts, Roderick Tolor and Thai Nguyen.

Paris factory employees file federal racial discrimination, harassment complaint

PARIS, TX ― Another Turner Industries employee has come forward claiming he too is a victim of racial discrimination and harassment. Some African American employees of the Paris plant say they have complained to their supervisors about unfair treatment and threats. Now they are taking their complaints to the federal government. Rita Kotey has more.

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Eric M. – Dallas, Texas

“Racism is a process of evil and ignorance. I began my fight against institutional racism in 2005 when I started working for Allied Aviation in Dallas, Texas. Coming from professional football where color took a backseat to teamwork, I was devastated to see that in this modern age managers and co-workers could not see past the color of skin. I, along with numerous other African-American and Hispanic co-workers, were subjected to constant racial threats, symbols and epithets which left permanent scars that can be forgiven, but not forgotten. The environment was so bad we had no choice but to fight back for our own health and sanity. To me, if you do not stand for SOMETHING, you’ll truly fall for anything.
We could not fight this fight alone, however. We called upon James Vagnini and his firm in New York to lead this fight. Without Valli Kane & Vagnini’s determination and know-how, we would not have made it through. After VKV’s relentless fight, we convinced the Federal Government to join in our fight against Allied and we were ultimately vindicated when the company not only compensated us for the harm they caused, but they were forced to commit to companywide changes and measures that would protect their minority employees well into the future.
In the darkest times at Allied, we learned that knowledge is power and the attorneys at VKV had plenty of it. I am extremely thankful for the attorneys and their tireless effort to see us through this time.”

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