A 58-year-old Black human resources employee for the city of Carson is suing the South Bay community, alleging racial discrimination and claiming she was instructed by the city manager to favor job applicants affiliated with a church led by a City Council member.
Tracey Curry’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was scheduled for a case management conference Friday, but the hearing was continued to June 3 after no one appeared on her behalf. In addition to discrimination, the lawsuit alleges whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“Defendants subjected plaintiff to years of severe harassment, discrimination and retaliation based on her age, sex, disability, race and religion and because she was brave enough to stand up for herself by complaining about her mistreatment…,” the suit states.
Carson Assistant City Attorney Robert J. Lee did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit.
According to the suit, City Manager David Roberts told Curry to hire persons on the basis of the applicants’ religion, including those where were members of a church directed by a City Council member, regardless of whether the applicants had the qualifications and experience, the suit states.
When Curry resisted Roberts’ alleged order because she believed it violated state and federal law, Roberts harassed and bullied her in order to pressure her to comply, the suit further alleges.
“This conduct was particularly egregious as it occurred with human resources employees in the department in which plaintiff worked, the very persons who are charged with ensuring compliance with state and federal laws meant to protect plaintiff from the very conduct that occurred,” the suit states.
The suit does not identify the council member or that person’s church.
Curry also was denied benefits and privileges given younger city workers and some of the other employees asked insensitive questions, including, “Did you go to segregation school?” and “Are those your boots that you wore in the 70s?,” the suit alleges.
Noting the skin color of Curry’s son, another employee told the plaintiff, “Oh, you got a light bright,” the complaint states.
Curry also was left feeling isolated and precluded from important decision-making, according to the suit, which further alleges that the bullying continued even though management knew it could cause the plaintiff’s multiple sclerosis to flare up. Curry felt helpless when it came to protecting herself from the allegedly insensitive workplace, the suit states.
Despite Curry’s numerous complaints both verbally and in writing, she was demoted and ultimately terminated, according to the suit, which also contends that the plaintiff has suffered financially and been humiliated and embarrassed by her work experiences.
Curry seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as a court order barring the city from engaging in allegedly discriminatory employment practices.