March 23, 2026
Black Woman Wins $15M Discrimination Suit After Supervisor Allegedly Called Her ‘Entitled N-Word’
Wilson received $15.4 million in damages as the jury ruled in her favor after one day of deliberation.
A Black woman won over $15 million in a racial discrimination lawsuit after her supervisor allegedly called her an “entitled n-word.”
La-Kebbia “Kiki” Wilson teamed up with a co-worker to sue the city of Fresno in 2019, citing workplace discrimination that occurred a year earlier. Wilson says she experienced wrongful treatment due to her race from her supervisor, Howard Lacy, at the city’s code enforcement department.
A jury ruled in favor of Wilson, awarding her $15.4 million in damages, as reported by The Root. Now, Wilson says that the department has been “exposed” for its racist treatment of Black employees. The awarded plaintiff claimed that she endured the “angry Black woman” stereotype, with one exchange between her co-worker, Charles Smith, and Lacy being enough for the jury to validate her claims.
Despite having a bigger check than she ever did working for Fresno, she says she paid for it with the experiences she underwent at the city department.
“We look at the huge number, but nobody looked at the huge price I paid,” she told reporters at the GV Wire.
The complaint detailed how Lacy allegedly called Wilson an “entitled N-word” who used her Blackness to her advantage. Smith also detailed in the complaint that the manager called Wilson “lazy” and a “piece of sh*t.”
However, Lacy denied the accusations during his testimony, claiming that an internal investigation found that he never said such offensive words. Despite the claims, Wilson remained adamant that he did use such profanities to describe her, calling out the department as well for allegedly trying to cover up his actions.
Smith and Wilson’s legal team noted how Lacy never faced any repercussions following the investigation. Despite the lack of consequences at the office, the California jury decided to administer its own justice for Wilson. They came to a verdict after one day of deliberation, holding the city of Fresno accountable for its treatment of the Black woman employee.
“We proved our case, and the city of Fresno never took this case seriously,” Wilson’s attorney said. “They fought it for over seven years in court, and we finally had our day in court and justice prevailed.”
However, the legal fight may wage on. Fresno leaders hinted at appealing the verdict, especially as the payout would mark a huge dent in the city’s budget.
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