May 6, 2023
North Dakota

North Dakota wind turbine blade manufacturer sued for race harassment

May 5, 2023 | insurancejournal.com

LM Wind Power Blades, Inc, a wind turbine blade manufacturer based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, violated federal law when it subjected an African American employee to a racially hostile work environment and then retaliated against him for complaining, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed May 4, 2023.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the African American employee was the target of sustained racial hostility from white employees and supervisors, which included racial slurs and threats of violence. White co-workers referred to the employee using the N-word, described him as a “monkey” on social media, and tagged him in online posts discussing white power. A white supervisor threatened to “slap the black off” the employee, and, when challenged, said he wished to hang him from a bridge or drag him behind a truck. Despite the employee’s frequent complaints, LM Wind Power failed to meaningfully discipline the harassers, and instead allowed the abusive conditions to continue. Eventually, LM Wind Power fired the employee in retaliation for his complaints.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2023/05/06/north-dakota-wind-turbine-blade-manufacturer-sued-for-race-harassment/