South Gate : Bias Trial Set
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A $25-million discrimination suit against Pete Ellis Dodge is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 14, in Norwalk Superior Court, an attorney for the plaintiff has announced.
On Nov. 29, 1985, Jeffrey T. Prather of Bellflower was fired from his job as a sales manager with the large South Gate auto dealer on Firestone Boulevard. Although his notice indicates that he was released because of “lack of production,” Prather claims he was fired because he is black, the lawsuit alleges.
The suit argues that Prather was not unproductive. Instead, Prather had been the top grossing sales manager during the month he was dismissed, attorney Jack H. Anthony said.
But Richard T. Hilmen Jr., attorney for Pete Ellis Dodge, denies that Prather was fired because of his race. He said that more than half of the dealership’s employees are minorities.
He claims that Prather’s firing was based on a dispute between the sales manager and the newly hired general manager.
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