UPDATE:
Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing chairman Brian France denied Wednesday that a former official complained to her supervisors about racial and sexual discrimination, claims she alleged led to her eventual firing.
Mauricia Grant filed a $225 million suit against Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing on Tuesday, alleging racial discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliatory termination. Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector for Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing’s second-tier Nationwide Series.
France said Wednesday the detailed filing was the first Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing learned of her claims.
“The disappointing thing is she makes a lot of claims, none of them reported,” said France. “The fact that it went on as she stated, for many months, but never bothered to tell anyone at management what was going on — which is what our policy says — is very disappointing.
“We would have liked, if those type things were in fact going on, we would have loved to have done an investigation and a review of such an allegation.”
France said Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing will review Grant’s claims, which included 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination she says began when she was hired in January 2005 through her October 2007 firing.
In addition to Grant’s human resources file, the review is expected to include interviews with everyone named in the lawsuit.
Among those identified in Grant’s suit are Nationwide Series director Joe Balash, assistant series director Mike Dolan, two supervisors, Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing’s senior manager for business relations, the human resources director and 17 of Grant’s fellow officials. All of the defendants are white.
Of the 17 officials named in the suit, two no longer are with Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing.
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A former racing official is suing Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing, alleging racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Mauricia Grant worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in Nat\’l Assoc for Stock Car Racing’s second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until she was fired last October.
Grant, who is black, alleges she was referred to as “Nappy Headed Mo” and “Queen Sheba,” by white co-workers. She also claims she often was told she worked on “colored people time,” and was frightened by one official who routinely made references to the Ku Klux Klan.
The lawsuit, which seeks $250 million, was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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