A Houston-area construction company will pay $122,500 and
provide additional remedial relief to resolve a discrimination lawsuit
filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the
agency announced. The EEOC had charged that Pace Services, L.P.
discriminated against Mohammad Kaleemuddin because he is of the Islamic
faith and of East Indian descent, and against 13 other employees
because they are black or Hispanic.
The EEOC’s lawsuit (Civil Action No. 4:08cv2886, in U.S. District
Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division) asserted
that a Pace supervisor referred to Kaleemuddin as “terrorist,”
“Taliban,” “Osama” and “Al-Qaeda.” According to the EEOC, despite
Kaleemuddin’s complaints, Pace never took action to stop the
harassment, which continued up to the day when the supervisor fired
him. The EEOC further claimed that the same supervisor, as well as
others in Pace management, regularly referred to African Americans as
“n----s” and to Hispanics as “f-----g Mexicans.”
Under the terms of the consent decree settling the suit, signed by
U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen William Smith, Pace Services will pay
$61,250 in relief to compensate Kaleemuddin. An additional $61,250 will
be distributed among the other non-Anglo employees who were also
harassed. In addition to the monetary payments, the decree directs that
Pace’s owner shall provide a signed letter of apology to Kaleemuddin,
that the manager alleged to have made many of the racist remarks be
prohibited from ever working again for Pace, and that Pace provide
employee training designed to prevent future discrimination and
harassment on the job.