Nooses allegedly hung from ceiling at Ohio GM plant
TOLEDO, OHIO — Nine African-Americans who worked at a General Motors plant in Ohio have filed a lawsuit accusing the automaker of ignoring racially charged incidents, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The complaint alleges five nooses were hung from a ceiling at a plant in Toledo in early 2017, along with images of swastikas, stick figures with nooses around their necks and “whites only” signs being painted on walls.
Worker Mark Edward said he was really startled: “I couldn’t understand who in my work area disliked me that much or had that much hatred to hang a noose by my job.”
The lawsuit — which is seeking monetary compensation for lost wages and mental anguish, along with having the guilty workers fired — claims GM did nothing to address the culture of discrimination and failed to protect workers.
But the company says workers underwent anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, and it is “committed to providing an environment that is safe, open and inclusive.”
