More Mo Grant

Mauricia Grant was interviewed by Sports Illustrated yesterday. It's a fun read, I promise. [SI.com]

Two officials suspended in Grant investigation

Two NASCAR Nationwide series officials named in the Mauricia Grant case have been suspended by NASCAR for indefinite period for violating NASCAR policy after being interviewed along with 25 others releated with the case.

Grant's lawyer, Benedict P. Morelli called NASCAR's action "unbelievable and astonishing."

"It seems to me that maybe they should close the barn door before the horse runs out, instead of after the horse runs out," Morelli said. "This is what you do when you are in a defensive posture. They should have known this was going on."

Morelli beleives that the suspensions helps Grant's case. "All this does is prove that she was telling the truth," Morelli said. "It's proof positive that it was going on, and it's too little too late."

Yeah, okay.

NASCAR suspends 2 officials in lawsuit investgation (FOXSports.com)

Brian France says that offcial never complained to supervisors

Well our first counter accusation in the Mauricia Grant case has been made as NASCAR head Brain France said that Grant never complained about being harassed or discriminated her by co-workers.

"The disappointing thing is she makes a lot of claims, none of them reported," said France. "The fact that it went on as she stated, for many months, but never bothered to tell anyone at management what was going on -- which is what our policy says -- is very disappointing."
"We would have liked, if those type things were in fact going on, we would have loved to have done an investigation and a review of such an allegation," France said.
Some of Grant's accused have also shot back like former NASCAR official Mike Wilford.

"Graphic and lewd jokes? She participated in them. She laughed, she would never say it was inappropriate," Wilford said. "She asked to be called the only two names she was ever called. She called herself Mo Money all the time."

Grant also accused Wilford of trying to make her his mistress by offering rubies and diamonds to her.
"That's just one the many incidents she's twisted into her favor in the suit," Wilford said. "Yes, I made the joke, but it was a joke because Mo used to go around telling everyone she wanted to marry a rich man and be a kept woman, and that was all she was after. She told everyone that, and now she's twisting behavior she both initiated in and participated in."

"He was persistent about asking if I would be his mistress," Grant fired back. "When he pulled the diamonds and rubies out, he wanted me to know he had the financial capability to take care of me. I am guessing he came forward because he was embarrassed that his wife would find out he was hitting on me."

Oh boy, oh boy. This thing is getting more juicy than a soap opera, all we need is a person in a coma to be taken advantage of and Bing Crosby's daughter shooting someone and we'll have one hell of a show.

France denies that former offcial complained to supervisors (ESPN.com)

Former official suing NASCAR for discrimination and harassment

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)