Four Black Construction Workers Sue NY-Based Company After Alleging Racial Discrimination

Four Black construction workers have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New York after they allege that they were subjected to racial slurs and shorted their pay.

The lawsuit against Troy, New York-based Redburn Property Services, a commercial property management and construction firm, alleges that supervisors even told one employee he would have to perform oral sex on a company owner to get a raise, according to a racial discrimination lawsuit.

Members of the all-Black crew were terminated, allegedly after they complained about the incidents and alleged pay disparities among their white counterparts.

According to Construction Dive, the workers reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unsafe conditions in an area known as “the dungeon,” where Black employees were assigned to work, but white employees allegedly were not.

The pattern of discrimination and harassment the complaint also alleges ties into workers’ safety as the group of Black employees claim their white supervisors refused to give Black workers protective equipment such as fall protection and respirators on dangerous jobs.

Instead, the lawsuit alleges the supervisors supplied white employees with these items.

The lawsuit claim gets even more specific to allege that Black employees were ordered to clean up used condoms after a supervisor held a sex party in a model apartment, Construction Dive reported.

In addition, Black workers who tested positive for COVID-19 were allegedly threatened with being fired if they disclosed to others that they had contracted the virus.

“It’s an old boys club,” associate attorney Stefanie Shmil told Construction Dive.

Shmil is a member of New York City-based Phillips & Associates, which is the firm representing the group of Black workers in the lawsuit.

“They feel like they can get away with behavior a little easier than they could in an office setting. Regardless of whether it’s at a construction site or in an office, no person should be subjected to any sort of discrimination,” Shmil stated to the outlet.

The Black workers are seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages, according to Construction Dive.

Redburn Property Services reportedly did not respond to emails or answer any calls from Construction Dive seeking comment.

The Daily Gazette reported that Redburn principal Jeffrey Buell stated the firm was investigating the charges and issued a statement that reads:

“The allegations in the complaint are incredibly difficult to read and fly in the face of our core values. We have immediately launched an internal investigation, but given the seriousness of the allegations, we are in the process of engaging outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation. Outside counsel will have the autonomy and ability to follow the facts wherever they lead, and we are fully committed to taking any remedial action that may be appropriate. Our company and its leaders remain committed to a workplace free of harassment and discrimination.”