Suit alleges New Salem man was target of racial discrimination
A New Salem man filed suit against his former employer on Monday, claiming he was subjected to racial discrimination and was ultimately fired when he complained.
Leonard McFadden, who is black, claimed that “severe discrimination” started soon after he was hired to work at Atlas Energy in Smithfield in July 2007.
Though he complained in early 2008, the suit filed by attorney Timothy M. Kolman alleged supervisors did nothing to stop the harassment.
The filing claimed that in March 2010, his foreman came to McFadden’s house to ask work-related questions. While there, the suit alleged the foreman said that another person standing in McFadden’s yard “looked like a crackhead.”
Additionally, the suit claimed that co-workers made racially derogatory remarks toward McFadden, including “fried chicken” and “watermelon.”
On another occasion, the suit claimed, a co-worker added black-eyed peas, corn starch and cocoa butter to McFadden’s grocery list, using a racial slur to say that they are foods that black people eat.
The man also added a post script to the list of “white sheet and pillowcase with holes,” the suit alleged.
“This was a KKK reference,” Kolman wrote.
The filing alleged that McFadden again complained and was ultimately fired in July 2010 over alleged performance issues.
The filing asks for pay and damages.