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Ex-official sues NASCAR over discrimination
Associated Press
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When she finally made it into NASCAR, Grant was appalled at the way she says she was treated beginning from her first day on the job until her firing last October.
Now she's suing NASCAR for $225 million, alleging racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
"I loved it. It was a great, exciting, adrenaline-filled job where I worked with fast cars and the best drivers in the world," Grant told The Associated Press. "But there was an ongoing daily pattern (of harassment). It was the nature of the people I worked with, the people who ran it, it trickled down from the top.
"It's just the way things are in the garage."
The 32-year-old Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until her termination. In the lawsuit, she alleged she was referred to 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.
In addition, Grant said she was subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom allegedly exposed themselves to her, and graphic and lewd jokes.
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The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, lists 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination beginning when she was hired in January 2005 through her October 2007 firing.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the organization had not yet reviewed the suit.
"As an equal opportunity employer, NASCAR is fully committed to the spirit and letter of affirmative action law," Poston said, adding NASCAR has a zero tolerance policy for harassment.
In the lawsuit, Grant said she complained numerous times to her supervisors about how she was treated, to no avail. On one occasion, Grant said Nationwide Series director Joe Balash, her immediate supervisor, was dismissive of her complaints, explaining her co-workers were "former military guys" with a rough sense of humor. "You just have to deal with it," she says Balash told her.
On another occasion, she alleged Balash participated in the harassment.
"Does your workout include an urban obstacle course with a flat-screen TV on your back?" she claimed Balash asked her during the week of July 28, 2007 while working in Indianapolis.
Grant told the AP her two younger sisters witnessed racial discrimination against the official while visiting her at Daytona International Speedway in 2006 and encouraged her to document every incident going forward.
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The lawsuit details a series of those alleged incidents:
- 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 car pool 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.
"It didn't diminish my love for the sport of auto racing, but the job wasn't always the easiest thing to go to every day," she said.
Grant said she routinely complained to her supervisors. Two weeks after her final complaint, Grant said she was warned during the week of August 18, 2007 at Michigan International Speedway that she had engaged in "conduct unbecoming of a NASCAR representative" and would be fired unless she changed her behavior. She said the warning stemmed from a confrontation with a track official who stopped her as she passed through a gate to use the restroom.
Roughly two months later, Grant was fired, and NASCAR cited a poor work performance in ending her employment. The lawsuit claims other than a previous warning for using "street" language, Grant had never been disciplined for job performance and routinely received positive reviews.
"It is time for NASCAR to realize that not everbody is going to be bought off and not file a complaint," said Grant's attorney, Benedict P. Morelli of Morelli Ratner PC. "Not everybody is going to be intimidated and not file a complaint. Not everybody is going to be blackballed and not file a complaint."
In addition, the suit claims official Heather Gambino was fired in 2006 for complaining about a sexually hostile work environment. The suit also claims former official Dean Duckett, who is black, was reprimanded and ultimately fired last November for using "aggressive language toward a white co-worker."
Among those identified in Grant's suit are Balash, assistant series director Mike Dolan, supervisors Alan Shephard and Dennis Dillon, NASCAR's senior manager for business relations, the human resources director and 17 of Grant's fellow officials. All of the defendants are white.
"My supervisors all praised me. I was hanging in there with the guys," she said. "I am an athletic person. I went over the wall and faced malicious crews and competitive crew chiefs, and I was right there and held it down and was never lazy about it.
"And I knew that once I was terminated, there wasn't going to be an opportunity for me to find another industry like NASCAR to practice my craft."
Member Comments
I went back and re-read some of super raziel comments. And I gotta say, I was right when I called him super racial. I commented that the world is at your feet for the taking and he cries manifest destiny. The only reason I dont do better in my life is becasue I amadmittedly lazy. Super wont accept that you alone are responsible for your own life. Blame, blame blame is all i hear from him. An educated man no doubt but I have seen many well educated people who couldnt figure how to move a small table from one side of the room to the other. In other words, educated beyond common sense. He's been drinking the NAACP kool aid for too long.<br />STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR LIFE.
gilmore74_7812/20/2008 6:24:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Really.....I promise that was a compliment. <br />I like your name passinthegrass....lol
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 19:19:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Please let it be known that truly I feel Nascar undoubtedly deserved to be rung up on this. Could signal the end for France if he doesnt clean it up. Nobody should have to put up with what happened to her. I dont mean to downplay through ribbing or otherwise the seriousness of the issue. There are unfortunately many extreme people out there white, Black, Asian, Indian, etc,etc, that are caught up in mean spirited behavior and these people should not get away with interfering in peoples abilities to pursue whatever career or passion they may have.<br /><br />If you are one of these people that spread hatred and racism whenever you can then you simply dont belong and you know it.<br /><br />I must say though. She is a fine looking lady. I hope saying that doesnt make me a pig.
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 19:17:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
After all this feed THEY WON'T be back no more. The Truth HURTS.
passinthegrass12/19/2008 18:08:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
And the ALL bl-a-ck beauty padgent? Where's the ALL white padgent???????
passinthegrass12/19/2008 17:38:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
MICHIGAN and gilmore; you guys hit the nail RIGHT on the head, what about a united white college fund ? I say give them a state like texas or something and let them try to run it with there own goverment and the U.S. would be just fine AGAIN .
passinthegrass12/19/2008 17:33:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
more examples the t.v station "BET" lets have a white station called "WET" oh but that would be racist.blackenterprise.com,www.blacknews.com,brownsista.com/what-black-women-want.com,www.blackmenpub.com,blackhistoryhut.com and not to mention black history month its a big big double standard in my opinion.
MICHIGANSVICTORS12/19/2008 14:03:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
What color was the judge in this case? <br />probably white as it is assumed that only white men have positions of power and authority. <br /><br />Lord I tire of the whining.
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 13:28:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Can you picture this. A bunch of white guys protesting outside a movie theater where "white men cant jump" is being played. They would all be jumping up and down trying to prove otherwise...I myself was a high jumper in school. So how did I get lumped into a movie about white guys who cant jump.<br />Who made that movie...I am suing...$225 million should do
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 13:24:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
movies like "white men cant jump" "white chicks" are discriminatory and a stereo type, if the tables were turned and there were movies made making fun about black people, black people would be outraged and the naacp would have a field day.
MICHIGANSVICTORS12/19/2008 13:07:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
LOL michigansvictors. I have always fancied being part of a womans only club. They havent let me in yet. Can you imagine an all male club.. Wait a sec,, theres a tree house out back thats an all male club. I'll go join that one.<br />Lets take a look at spike lee. He has declared his dislike for the white man publicly. Yet this seems to be perfectly fine. Imagine a white guy declaring his dislike for black folks. He's jailed for a hate crime. Yes sir our country is on the right track. Subdue and belittle the white guy while every minority gets special concessions and laws passed because someone said "I dont like your American traditions. Cant say Merry Christams anymore....and why not because some minority says its offensive to them.<br /><br />Hers what i have to say to it all. I am not prejudice.... I dislike you all equally
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 12:46:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
i'm thinking about trying out for a "Black College Team" oh wait a second i can't i'm white, black people think they are the only people discriminated against but yet they discriminate against other people of color, one example a football team from the army called "the black knights" if there was a team called "the white knights" the world would be in an uproar, maybe i should try out for black college football and when i dont get accepted because i'm white i'll sue for 225 million dollars.
MICHIGANSVICTORS12/19/2008 12:29:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
In other words my thoughts and feelings are not based on facts. <br />I try to avoid facts cause I am never sure. I gotta go with gut feelings. Thats all I can rely on. <br />Once again super has figured me out. I cant hide nothing from this person.
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 11:46:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Pseudoscience is defined as a body of knowledge, methodology, belief, or practice that is claimed to be scientific or made to appear scientific, but does not adhere to the scientific method,[2][3][4] lacks supporting evidence or plausibility,[5] or otherwise lacks scientific status.[6] The term comes from the Greek root pseudo- (false or pretending) and "science" (from Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge"). An early recorded use was in 1843 by French physiologist Fran?ois Magendie,[1] who is considered a pioneer in experimental physiology.
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 11:44:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Super has got me really scratching my head now. How did I get to being phenotypically. Super is obviously a well educated individual. I cannot argue with him any longer. He's got my number<br /><br />Dont get mad at me super I am only ribbing a little. No harm intended
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 11:37:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Adverbphenotypically (comparative more phenotypically, superlative most phenotypically)<br /><br />Positive<br />phenotypically<br /> Comparative<br />more phenotypically<br /> Superlative<br />most phenotypically<br /> <br /><br />(biology) with regard to the phenotype <br />2007, Carole Lartigue et al., Science 317(5838), "Genome Transplantation in Bacteria: Changing One Species to Another," page 362: <br />"These cells that result from genome transplantation are phenotypically identical to the M. mycoides LC donor strain." <br />Retrieved from "http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/phenotypically"
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 11:34:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
super, I am not sure what all the big words mean but thats okay. I get the gist of what your trying to say. You gotta hope that incidents like this will stop. She didnt deserve the abuse no matter what kinda person she really is and you and I dont know what Mrs. Grant is like. And there you go again calling us anglos. I call your people...people. Live in the now Super. It really helps me. I can sit around and get all cuaght up in the worlds problems or the history of a problem but its up to me to go out and treat peole decently. All the big words come across as very educated and thats great but it also makes you look really angry. Not all of us have that big of a vocabulary so please use smaller words so that the uneducated and racist anglos can understand. It is truly unbelievable that the race card is thrown in my face every time a black person is wronged. Seriously fi you got that much of a problem with all of us you should try another country. Would Nascar be more recieved if a black person were running the show or do you assume wrong doing because a bunch of southern white boys decided to race some cars.<br /><br />Do you belong to the NAACP or ACLU. it seems to me thats your calling<br />Fight for freedom and equality and I'll join you.Blaming all anglos for our ancestors actions is futile. <br /><br />I really mean this...Have a great day..<br /><br />P.S. what does phenotypycally mean?
gilmore74_7812/19/2008 11:28:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
So, gilmore74_78 is that how you present phenotypically? Then that is how people will judge you. Just the same if a person presents with a dark complexion. If you want to blame something, blame Anglo pseudoscience (aristocratic anthropology) for this. Trivialize the case all you like. Does not dismiss the fact that those Anglo NASCAR males were wrong and the entity is paying for it. Does that mean they will stop? Not likely. Their beliefs and actions will manifest themselves in a different way so as not to cost 225million more. Their hearts will still be the same and their children will keep their values going.
SuperRaziel12/19/2008 10:51:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
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