SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (WTVF) — A city of Springfield employee is suing the municipality for hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages after he claims he was racially harassed on multiple occasions.
Jordan Dickerson, an African American employee with the Wastewater Department claims in a federal lawsuit that he was racially and physically assaulted on multiple occasions. In the lawsuit, Dickerson's lawyers say the young man was referred to as a "black bastard," in a text sent by another co-worker.
In perhaps the most alarming allegation, the lawsuit claims that a city employee put a rope around Mr. Dickerson's neck and said "go monkey go." In another instance, a co-worker allegedly told Mr. Dickerson that new hats given to employees "only look good on white people."
"This is 2019 and that's happening on the job. It's time to fix this and employers need to sit up and pay attention," attorney Mary Parker said.
City officials declined to comment. But in court documents said the incident was "isolated," and the city employees involved were disciplined.
