UPS Kentucky Lawsuit for Discrimination Awards 8 Black Employees $5.3M

A Kentucky jury on Thursday ordered UPS to pay $5.3 million to eight black employees who alleged in a 2014 discrimination lawsuit that a hostile work environment was created in their Lexington office.

The lawsuit specifically pointed to an effigy of a black UPS driver that hung from the ceiling for four days in August 2012, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

UPS claimed that the dummy demonstrated ladder safety, with its hands and one foot tied to a ladder, and that twine wrapped around the dummy’s neck and tied to the ceiling was to prevent it from falling.

“I wear the brown suit. I wear the brown cap. I got the brown face. For me to come in at 3 o’clock in the morning and see that, it wasn’t a good feeling. It hurt me real bad,” said plaintiff William Barber, 54, who continues to work for UPS, according to the Herald-Leader.

The lawsuit also complained of racial slurs used in the workplace.

The jury found that UPS discriminated against one man, and retaliated against two who complained.

“It was a relief to know that the jury, our peers, sat and listened and found in our favor,” said plaintiff Donald Ragland, 63, who has retired from the company. “You go up against a big corporation like UPS, usually you get smacked in the face again.”

The jury awarded $1.5 million to Barber, $1 million to David Young, $810,000 to Glenn Jackson, $800,000 to John Hughes, $500,000 each to Ragland and Jeffrey Goree, and $100,000 each to Curtis Weathers and Lamont Brown.

Susan Rosenberg, a UPS spokeswoman, told The Associated Press that the company was disappointed with the decision and will consider an appeal.

"UPS has strict policies against harassment and discrimination," she said. "We reinforce that. There's no retaliation if employees raise concerns."

Barber, Goree, Hughes, Young, and Weathers continued to work for UPS during the legal challenge.

"We value their experience, their performance, their attention to service, and we expect that from all employees," Rosenberg told the AP.

The jury deliberated for about eight hours before delivering the verdict, the AP said.

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