Supervisor Calls African American Employee the N-word, Threatening Harm and Termination.

David ManesLawsuits & Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Employee Files Lawsuit against Traco for Race and Disability Discrimination

Maurice, an African American, accepted the position of machine operator at Traco in June 2016. His main responsibility was to operate side loader machines. The machine he operated had no seat belt despite the safety policy that required safety belts be in place. Three months after working at Traco, Maurice fell out of the side loader because there was no seat belt. He severely sprained tendons and ligaments in his left arm.

Following the accident, Maurice filed for and received workers’ compensation, and he also received medical papers, requiring that he not lift more than 10 pounds. After this medical restriction was placed on Maurice and his employer, he noticed that his supervisors began to threaten and mistreat him. According to Maurice, one supervisor would tell him to leave work early because of his medical restriction, and then another supervisor would write Maurice up for leaving without permission.

Maurice shared that his supervisor often yelled at him in front of other workers. But then, one of the supervisors allegedly began texting Maurice threatening messages. Maurice received a text from his supervisor that said, “You bitch ass n***** I should fuck u up…I want u out my department…” And then, Maurice shared that his supervisor followed that text up with “I get sombofy to fuck u up u or ya job ain’t safe pussy.” As the treatment worsened, Maurice notified the HR department.Maurice received a text from his supervisor that said, “You bitch ass n***** I should fuck u up…I want u out my department…”

In December, one of Maurice’s supervisors allegedly assigned him to lifting heavy metal onto racks. When Maurice reminded his supervisor that he was still on medical restrictions from lifting heavy, Maurice shared how his supervisor threatened to fire him if he didn’t lift. At this point, another supervisor stepped in and told Maurice that he’d talk to the other supervisor. Meanwhile, Maurice continued to file complaints with the HR department, but nothing was done. Finally, in January, Maurice was terminated.

Maurice believes that he suffered such unfair treatment and termination due to his race and his disability. As a client of KM&A, Maurice is standing up for his employee rights. KM&A represents women and men like Maurice who have experienced discrimination and termination due to their race and disability.

 

Full text of this complaint, as filed with the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, is available at docket no: 2:18-cv-00011-CRE

Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC is an employment law firm with principal offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, serving all counties in Pennsylvania, focusing on employment law, business law, litigation, and civil issues. KM&A clients include employees, small businesses, parties in litigation, and people with a variety of legal issues.

For more information about this case, contact Attorney Sean Ruppert at 412-626-5550 or at sr@lawkm.com.

NOTICE: All information contained in this statement comes from the Complaint which has been filed as a public record with the court. As dedicated civil rights attorneys, we strongly believe in the public value of telling our clients’ stories: violators can be held accountable, and other silent victims can feel empowered to stand up for their legal rights. Although we make every attempt to verify our clients’ claims, note that the defendant is expected to oppose our client’s position, and the court has not ruled one way or the other as of the date of this statement.