Mauricia Grant, a former tech official in the NASCAR Nationwide Series is suing NASCAR for $250 million for racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Grant worked for NASCAR from January 2005 to last October when she was fired by NASCAR. Grant claims that co-workers referred to her as "Nappy Headed Mo" and "Queen Sheba," by co-workers, was often told she worked on "colored people time," and was frightened by one official who routinely made references to the Ku Klux Klan. She also claims that her co-workers made sexual advances towards her and exposed themselves to her.
Grant claimed to take her complaints to a higher authority, but they went unheard and Grant claims that 21 different people participated in the harassment and that even her supervisor, Nationwide Series director Joe Balash, participated in the moments of harassment.
During the week of July 28, 2007 she claimed that Balash asked her: "Does your workout include an urban obstacle course with a flat-screen TV on your back?"
The lawsuit details a series of other alleged incidents like the one in July 2007:
Grant was forced to work outside more often than the white male officials because her supervisors believed she couldn't sunburn because she was black.
While riding in the backseat of her carpool at Talladega Superspeedway, co-workers told her to duck as they passed race fans. "I don't want to start a riot when these fans see a black woman in my car," she claims one official said.
When packing up a dark garage at Texas Motor Speedway an official told Grant: "Keep smiling and pop your eyes out 'cause we can't see you."
When she ignored advances from co-workers, Grant was accused of being gay. She also claimed co-workers questioned the sexual orientation of two other female officials.
Grant continued to complain to her supervisors. During the week of August 18, 2007, Grant was warned by NASCAR to change her behavior, that she was engaging in "conduct unbecoming of a NASCAR representative" and for using �street� language. Two months later she was fired. Grant claims she now suffers from severe emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, nightmares, sleep disturbance, crying jags, headaches and gastrointestinal distress since her firing and she has regained employment since.
The suit also claims that Grant may not be the only one who was treated like this. "NASCAR perpetuated, condoned and actively participated in perverted and disgusting sexual conduct designed to demean and diminish (Grant) and the handful of other women employed by NASCAR as officials," the suit claims. The suit claims that officials Heather Gambino and Jane Hayes were fired in 2006 for separately complaining about a sexually hostile work environment. The suit also claims former official Dean Duckett, who was black, was reprimanded and ultimately fired in November for using "aggressive language toward a white co-worker."
NASCAR has yet to review the suit, but has already come out with a response. "As an equal opportunity employer, NASCAR is fully committed to the spirit and letter of affirmative action law," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "NASCAR provides equal opportunity employment to job candidates and employees without regard to race, religion, creed, age, gender, or any other characteristic protected by law. Personnel decisions are made based on factors such as performance and adherence to corporate policy."
It will be interesting to see what comes out of this lawsuit.
Ex-official suing NASCAR over discrimination (NASCAR.com)
