Nissan Employees File Racial, Sex Harassment Suit

Five Nissan employees filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that their employers at a parts distribution warehouse in Costa Mesa ignored their complaints of racial and sexual harassment and, in some cases, retaliated against them for speaking out.

A spokesman for the car manufacturer said it was premature to comment on the allegations. “We haven’t officially been served with this suit, so at this point we have no comment to make,” said Scott Vazin, Nissan’s director of corporate communications.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Nissan North America Inc., alleges that a host of incidents occurred in which the employees--one Latino, one African American, two of Indian ethnicity and one from Jordan--were subjected to racial slurs, hate notes and other acts of intimidation.

Imad Awad, 36, of Irvine, charged that a supervisor insulted him with a racial epithet and that he received a threatening note in his locker. The note included a drawing of Awad with a bag tied over his head, a large noose to his left and a gun to the right, shooting bullets at the back of his head.

Awad also said he discovered bags of urine placed next to his tools. He said he reported the incident to management, requesting that the urine be tested and that management inform employees of the incident. According to Awad, management did nothing except dispose of the bags.

Awad also alleged he was repeatedly groped by a male supervisor.

Another plaintiff, 38-year-old Bruce Lane, an African American from Santa Ana, said he was called “boy” and that on at least two occasions, items were thrown on the floor and he was told to “go fetch.”

Gloria Allred, attorney for the plaintiffs, said management “either failed to investigate or take any meaningful action” every time the employees complained of harassment, which they did on numerous occasions.