Unfair Race

Anybody that watches NASCAR has probably never heard of Mauricia Grant; probably because she doesn't compete in the races. Until 2007 she was just a technical inspector for NASCAR. Why is she important? On Tuesday she filed a $225 million lawsuit against the racing giant. Her claims include racial discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliatory termination (she got fired for complaining).

In her suit she claims she was often referred to as "Queen Sheba" "Nappy Headed Mo" and "Ho-Mo." Grant says that she was often told that she worked on "colored people time," and that some co-workers repeatedly referenced the Ku Klux Klan around her. In addition to her claims of racial discrimination, she also alleges that some of her male co-workers made sexual advances toward her and even exposed themselves to her. In 2006, Grant says one of her co-workers showed her some loose diamonds and rubies and offered them to her if she would be his mistress.

The only question mark that comes up in her suit is that Nascar officials say she never reported any of these incidences, which occurred between January 2005 and October 2007. However, Grant says she reported her complaints through the chain of command instead of human resources, because she thought the director of her department would address her problems. Two weeks after reporting to the director, human resources gave her a call and let her know she'd been fired.

Of the 17 people named in the lawsuit, two have already resigned. Both of them said that Grant's claims had nothing to do with it. It seems unrealistic to think that this day and age someone would put up with this kind of treatment for two years before they reported it. I'm not saying I don't believe her, but I am saying she better be ready to prove it. If you sue somebody for $225 million of them thangs, and they actually have it to lose, that means they have more than enough to try their best to make you look bad in court. Hope she's ready to race with the big boys.

-Ant