Calling Employees Terrorists Because of their National Origin Can Create a Hostile Work Environment

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settled a lawsuit against Porous Materials, Inc., in which the EEOC alleged that the company had harassed employees because of their race, sex, and national origin.  The EEOC’s lawsuit claims that the company subjected its employees to sexism, racism, and national origin discrimination by a manager’s use of racial slurs, references to foreign-born employees as “terrorists,” and racist remarks to the company’s only black employee that involved a noose.  This manager also complained that immigrants stole American jobs and told immigrant employees to leave America.  The lawsuit also alleged that the manager made discriminatory comments about women and said that women could not perform a “man’s job.”  This alleged conduct is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits race discrimination, national origin discrimination, and sex discrimination as well as harassment.  See EEOC v. Porous Materials, Inc., No. 3:18-cv-01099 (N.D.N.Y.).