$250,000 Awarded in Racial Suit

Los Angeles Harbor College failed to take “immediate and appropriate” action to prevent an employee from using racial slurs against another worker, a Long Beach Superior Court jury found this week in awarding $250,000 in damages.

Sherman Jones, 57, of Long Beach won the award Tuesday at the end of a three-week trial.

Jones, who is black, told the jury that he was working as a painter at the school in 1980 and 1981 when another painter, who is white, regularly insulted him with racial slurs. Jones’ lawsuit claimed that he had to endure the discriminatory atmosphere because supervisors did not respond to his complaints.

College officials said that they counseled the other painter and eventually forced him to resign when he continued to use the slurs.

But Jones’ lawyer, James Vititoe, argued that the college let the taunts continue for more than a year before forcing the other painter out of his job.

Jones went on disability retirement in 1985 because of knee injuries.