Hispanic Workers Resolve Racial Bias Case

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July 18th, 2006

"Racial Discrimination Case Against Municipality"

The city of Tempe, Arizona, announced on Friday that it has reached a settlement with nine former Public Works employees who won a racial discrimination case against the municipality last year.

On June 30, 2005, a jury awarded the employees $2.4 million in damages, which was to be split among them according to degree of discrimination. However, the city decided to try to appeal the decision, delaying the distribution of the settlement.

Before the court approved the request for appeal, the parties agreed to enter into mediation. The total award agreed upon is less than the original jury verdict, but the plaintiffs will finally receive their award and have actual resolution.

“Money wasn''t the biggest issue here at all. It was for [the city] to be aware this happened to us and no one should ever be treated like that,” said Raul Trevino, one of the plaintiffs.

As part of the settlement, the victims also received an official apology from the city.

“The city regrets the improper treatment that these members of our community received in the past and apologizes for those past acts,” said a statement released on Friday.

According to the original complaint, the nine Public Works employees were subject to racial slurs as well as explicit and implicit threats over the course of years. Their grievance prompted inquiries into the matter by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the state Attorney General''s Office.

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