COMPANY SUBJECTED MINORITY WORKERS TO A “HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT”
In late June, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it had filed litigation against Liberty Energy, Inc., d/b/a Liberty Oilfield Services, LLC, for subjecting three workers to “discrimination and harassment.”
Apparently, the individuals in question -- a Black mechanic and two Hispanic co-workers -- endured the use of derogatory terms and slurs, such as the “N-word,” “beaner,” and “wetback.” And even though this abuse was reported to management, the company failed to take appropriate corrective action. In fact, the Black mechanic was reportedly compelled to perform “undesirable work tasks and was isolated from his peers,” which ultimately caused him to resign.
Believing that such conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC filed a complaint, Civil Action No. 7:23-cv-100, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Midland-Odessa Division, seeking monetary damages (compensatory and punitive), together with injunctive relief stopping the company from engaging in such discriminatory practices.
In a written statement, Joel Clark, a trial attorney in the EEOC’s Dallas District Office, noted that, “These workers were the targets of many instances of flagrant harassment, but employees are neither required nor expected to submit to a hostile work environment because of their race or ethnicity …. They should have a reasonable expectation that their employer will make an earnest effort to maintain a respectful workplace.”
Look who got disrespected there …..
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