GREENVILLE, S.C. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced DHD Ventures Management Company Inc. will pay a total of $40,000 to settle allegations of racial harassment and retaliation.
EEOC charged that the company, a New York-based real estate management company, allowed Charles Lesine and Marlin Ware to be harassed from late 2007 to November 2011. These employees worked at Grandeagle Apartments, a residential complex in Greenville, South Carolina, that DHD managed.
Lesine and Ware allegedly were subjected to unwelcome derogatory racial comments and slurs made by a white coworker, including the repeated use of the “n” word. The two employees complained to management but the harassment allegedly continued. EEOC charged that Lesine and Ware were fired in November 2011 in retaliation for their complaints.
"Companies must ensure they do not allow racial slurs to be used in the workplace, and that they take prompt and effective action in response to complaints of such misconduct," said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for EEOC's Charlotte District Office. "Employers must also remember retaliation against people who complain about illegal employment discrimination is itself against the law. [The] EEOC will vigorously enforce these federal laws."