Topic: Assholes in the news
[cross-posted from Aiken Area Progressive]
DAYTONA BEACH -- Mauricia Grant, 32, has sued the number 2 sport in America for a quarter-billion dollars, saying that she has was discriminated against because of both her race and gender, was sexually harassed and slut-shamed, and that she was wrongully dismissed in October 2007. Here is some of what she said:
"I loved it. It was great, exciting adrenaline-filled job where I worked with fast cars and the best drivers in the world. 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."
In the lawsuit, Mrs. Grant says that she was referred to as "Nappy Headed Mo" and "Queen Sheba". She was also frightened by one official who made references to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
That's not all. Mrs. Grant says that she was also subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom exposed their penises to her and made graphic, lewd jokes.
In all, 57 incidents of sexist and racist allegations are listed in a New York area District court.
Benedict P. Morelli is Mrs. Grant's lawyer. He compared Mrs. Grant's fight to Anucha Browne Sanders, who won $11,500,000.00 in a sex harassment lawsuit ironically enough, in October 2007, the same period in which Mrs. Grant was terminated.
Joe Balash, the Nationwide Series director, and assistant Series director Mike Dolan (no relation to the idiot who owns Cablevision and MSG) were among 23 NASCAR officials named as defendants.
As a fan of the sport, I am thoroughly appalled at what these men were doing to her. I hope that Brian France will make some major changes in the future to prevent another incident like this from ever happening again. Seems like every sport has asshats in them nowadays.
