LM Wind Power Blades, Inc, a wind turbine blade manufacturer based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, violated federal law when it subjected an African American employee to a racially hostile work environment and then retaliated against him for complaining, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed May 4, 2023.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the African American employee was the target of sustained racial hostility from white employees and supervisors, which included racial slurs and threats of violence. White co-workers referred to the employee using the N-word, described him as a “monkey” on social media, and tagged him in online posts discussing white power. A white supervisor threatened to “slap the black off” the employee, and, when challenged, said he wished to hang him from a bridge or drag him behind a truck. Despite the employee’s frequent complaints, LM Wind Power failed to meaningfully discipline the harassers, and instead allowed the abusive conditions to continue. Eventually, LM Wind Power fired the employee in retaliation for his complaints.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race-related harassment and retaliation. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota (Civil Action No. 3:23-cv-086) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
LM Wind is an affiliate of General Electric and claims to have facilities in nine countries across four continents.
Topics Lawsuits Manufacturing
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