Racial Discrimination at White Waste Pro: Black Workers Awarded $1.4 Million After Harassment with Stuffed Monkey and Slurs

A waste management firm in Florida has agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve a federal lawsuit concerning race and national origin discrimination, affecting 26 Black and Haitian workers. They alleged consistent harassment, including racial slurs, by co-workers, behaviors overlooked by supervisors who assigned the most challenging tasks and inferior equipment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the suit against Waste Pro of Florida in September 2023 after a complaint from Fednol Pierre, a Black Haitian welder. He reported continuous harassment, receiving derogatory remarks from fellow workers, including threats and racial epithets. Despite reporting these issues, Pierre faced retaliation and was compelled to request a shift change to avoid his harassers, ultimately resigning due to an untenable work environment. The lawsuit highlighted Waste Pro's failure to eradicate a hostile atmosphere for affected employees. In response, Waste Pro denied the majority of allegations, claiming to have taken reasonable preventive measures. The settlement mandates significant structural changes to workplace policies and practices to enhance employee protections, reflecting the EEOC's commitment to combating racial discrimination in the workplace.