Three employees of Clark County Public Works will receive $600,000 in total after a federal jury found the county violated Washington state’s law against discrimination over their treatment when they worked for the county.
On June 20, a jury in the Western Washington District ruled in favor of Elias Peña, Isaiah Hutson and Ray Alanis in their suit against Clark County. Each will receive $200,000 from the case.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and Seattle-based law firm Breskin, Townsend and Johnson filed a federal lawsuit in June 2021 on behalf of the plaintiffs.
The three were members of a road crew for the Clark County Public Works Department. Peña and Hutson worked for the county since 2016, the initial complaint read. Alanis joined them in the roads division in 2018.
Prior to Alanis joining the department, Peña and Hutson were harassed by non-Latino supervisors and co-workers, which included racist remarks, a release from the firms representing them stated. When Alanis joined the department, he also experienced derogatory remarks, such as calling Latinos “a cancer.”
When all of the Latinos were assigned to the same road crew, non-Latino supervisors and co-workers referred to that group as the “brown crew” and the “landscaping crew,” the release stated.
The initial complaint alleged the plaintiffs were scrutinized more at their jobs by supervisors because they were Latino. The three did not have the same opportunities for additional work and had to file grievances to be paid the same as non-Latino employees for similar work.
One of the plaintiffs was denied the opportunity to quarantine after he was exposed to another county employee who was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the complaint.
The three brought their complaints to the county’s human resources department and the county manager, but those complaints were dismissed or ignored, the release stated.
The jury concluded the county violated state law that prohibits discriminatory practices in employment and the workplace.
In a written statement, the county thanked the court for its work on the case, recognizing the time put into the ruling.
“The county is committed to provide a work environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment for its employees, the public it serves and those with whom the county conducts business,” the statement read. “The county continues to be committed to providing services that enhance the quality of life for our diverse community in part by supporting and empowering county employees in their efforts to provide excellent public service.”
Attorneys representing the three employees appreciated the jury’s result.
“After years of experiencing a hostile work environment at Clark County, our clients have finally been vindicated,” Luis L. Lozada, a MALDEF staff attorney, stated in the release. “The jury heard their stories and believed them.”
