[begin rant]
Folks, this story just made me sick to my stomach:
Charles Hickman worked at Commercial Coating Services for seven months in 2002. Hickman, the company’s only black employee, said his white co-workers — including his supervisor — started making racial taunts almost as soon as he was hired, according to the EEOC suit.
Then, one day one of his co-workers told him someone wanted to talk to him in the bathroom, the 37-year-old claimed in the suit. When Hickman went in, two co-workers were waiting with a hangman’s noose, which they put around his neck and tightened, the suit alleged.
Hickman said a fight broke out and he lost consciousness. Once the noose was removed, he began coughing up blood.
The only good news I see here is that Charles Hickman (the father of five children) was awarded one million dollars – a substantial amount of money. But there’s lots of bad news – not least being that the company didn’t fold up. That’s a shame. Worse by far, though, is the sad, disheartening knowledge that society still produces revolting racists like these:
Commercial Coating Services, which has changed owners since Hickman worked there and is now known as Commerical [sic] Coating Services International, initially tried to argue that the men were involved in “horseplay” and it wasn’t racially motivated, said Charles H. Peckham, a private employment lawyer with Lundy & Davis who represents Hickman.
Ah, those good ole boys, just havin’ a little horseplay. Yup! You know how it is, eh? Just yukkin’ it up, acting like a bunch of Bubbas, and… oops!? How on earth did that noose get around that black man’s neck? We wuz jest kiddin’ around!
The piping company was also able to argue successfully to the Texas Workforce Commission that Hickman voluntarily quit his job and was therefore not eligible for unemployment benefits, said Peckham.
“They actually tried to make the argument that Charles actually thought it was funny,” said Peckham.
That annoys Hickman, who said he never considered the insults or alleged physical abuse humorous.
Hickman is annoyed? ANNOYED? I admire his restraint, but I find this kind of nastiness much more than annoying! It positively outrages me!
Bunch of yahoos… inbred losers… grrrrrr…..
[/rant]
Follow Me