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Asphalt Paving Systems has settled a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that Black employees were subjected to racial discrimination and harassment.
According to the Atlanta Black Star, Asphalt Paving Systems has been ordered to pay $1.25 million to 12 Black former employees who were allegedly called racial slurs, threatened, intimidated, and denied “the use of facilities, tools, and resources on the basis of their race.”
The lawsuit, filed by the EEOC in September 2023, accused several white employees of calling the plaintiffs "boy," "monkey," and "Black motherf***er." Black employees were allegedly forced to work in inclement weather and use the bathroom outdoors while white workers looked on from inside.
The suit also cited a specific instance involving a white foreman named Anthony Buchholz.
“Buchholz would use the N-word frequently in front of Curney,” the lawsuit stated. “Curney objected to Buchholz’s direct use of the N-word, but Buchholz continued to use it. After Curney’s objections, Buchholz then came to a job site with a friend and yelled ‘I ain’t gonna ever run from a Black N—r’ at Curney.”
According to the lawsuit, another employee referred to as "Jackie" in the suit told Black employees: “Black is beautiful, tan is grand, but white is the color of the big boss man."
All of the plaintiffs named in the suit resigned or were fired by March 2022.
The lawsuit also accuses Asphalt Paving Systems of contacting potential future employers for its former Black employees and telling companies to not hire them.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and illustrate the unfortunate reality that, 60 years after Title VII was enacted, toxic racial discrimination still plagues many workplaces in Florida,” EEOC Regional Attorney Robert E. Weisberg said in a statement. “The EEOC will continue to vigorously fight for the rights of Black employees and applicants to be free from workplace discrimination.”
Under the settlement agreement, Asphalt Paving Systems must also hold annual anti-discrimination training with its employees.
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