Radiocative Waste Processing Company Settles Race Discrimination Lawsuit

A Memphis radioactive waste processing company will pay $650,000 to 23 African American employees and provide other relief to settle a race and retaliation discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), the EEOC announced last week. According to the EEOC’s suit against Race, LLC, doing business as Studsvik, LLC (Civil Action No. 2:07-cv-2620, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Western Division), Courtney Britton, who worked as a lead worker in the shop for Studsvik, and other African American employees, were subjected to racially offensive comments by their white supervisor. Further, the complaint alleged that Britton’s supervisor regularly referred to him and other African American employees with the N-word and other derogatory slurs, such as “boy.” In addition, the EEOC alleged, white managers subjected Britton and other African American employees to excessive radiation exposure, more than their white co-workers. The EEOC also charged that Britton was suspended for 15 days and then laid off in retaliation for complaining about the racial harassment. Besides the monetary relief, the three-year consent decree resolving the case enjoins Studsvik from discriminating against its employees because of their race and from retaliating against workers who assert their rights, and enjoins Studsvik from making assignments in the shop area based on race. Studsvik agreed to adopt and maintain an anti-discrimination policy prohibiting discrimination, to distribute the policy and complaint procedure to all employees, and to provide mandatory training to all employees regarding the policy