Black UIC employee accuses staff of racism
A black employee at the University of Illinois at Chicago says his job was made a “living hell” due to taunts by co-workers.
Chuck Conner, 49, who is a mechanic at the institution, says he’s received a black Santa Claus and a rope in the form of a noose while working there.
“It’s been a living hell working, the time there with the university, in that motor pool in the garage department,” says Chuck Conner. […] Five months ago, Conner found a rope dangling over a fence.
UIC says even though no evidence was found of a hate crime, “the disciplinary process is still underway.”
Now Conner says he’s being harassed with an animated, singing black Santa Claus doll.
“They use the doll after they hear me use speech that’s slang… and one of the words I may say, they’ll use the doll and play it and laugh.”
Conner says he’s told supervisors several times about how offensive the moves are, only to get brushed off and told that “the guys are just having fun.”
A spokeswoman for UIC says she’s not aware of the doll in the garage.
It is never okay to make an employee feel uncomfortable.
How can we get UIC officials to take Conner’s case seriously?
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