INDIANAPOLIS (CN) - Racism is pervasive at Honda's Indiana plant, where bathroom graffiti states, "Honda KKK is here all niggers live in fear," and "Roses are red violets are blue, why kill one nigger when you can kill two," a black worker claims in court.
Clifford W. Holder sued Honda Manufacturing of Indiana in Federal Court.
Honda hired Holder in 2008 to work at its Southern Indiana plant, and by 2013 he was an associate relations administrator responsible for communicating workplace policies to employees.
He claims: "At the Honda plant where Holder worked, racially offensive graffiti directed at African Americans routinely appeared in the men's restrooms.
"The following comments appeared:
"Honda KKK is here all niggers live in fear.
"On Friday I am coming in to shoot every nigger I see. 3 days until all niggers die.
"Tomorrow ALL niggers DIE.
"Roses are red violets are blue, why kill one nigger when you can kill two.
"All Honda niggers will pay kill them all.
"Who wants to hang some niggers.
"Let's hang some niggers.
"Holder repeatedly reported this to his employer. The only actions taken were to remove the graffiti. The graffiti would subsequently reappear. No actions were taken to prevent it from occurring in the first place," according to the complaint.
Holder names other black employees who were subjected to discrimination, but whose white harassers allegedly received nothing but a slap on the wrist. He claims that Honda often passed over black employees for promotion in favor of less qualified white employees.
"Dean Vinson (African American) was called a nigger and was subjected to other racially offensive comments, but the other employees making the comments received no discipline or a slap on the wrist," Holder says in the lawsuit.
"Chris Watler (White) put his finger in the face of Timothy Drake (African American) and spoke in a loud, aggressive tone. Timothy Drake was punished because he asked Chris Watler to 'Get your damn finger out of my face,'" the complaint states.
The only parties to the complaint are Holder and Honda.
"As a result of the hostile work environment, Holder had to go on medical leave," he says.
Holder seeks punitive damages for employment discrimination.
He is represented by Adam Lenkowsky with Roberts & Bishop.
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