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'Fired Black Employee Sues Paint Company Over Racist Paint Names'

http://news.yahoo.com/fired-black-employee-sues-paint-company-over-racist-203606106.html

The Daily Caller // 4 hours ago

A black man in New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Benjamin Moore Paints, which he says named one of its paint colors after him and then fired him when he complained.

Clinton Tucker, who managed online sales for Benjamin Moore, which is owned by the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, said that he was bothered by the names of several of the company’s paint colors, “Clinton Brown,” “Tucker Chocolate,” and “Confederate Red.”

“Being a black man named Clinton Tucker, the plaintiff found this to be extremely racially offensive,” reads the complaint, filed in Essex County Court.

Tucker claims that the company’s executive management were aware of his displeasure with the color names, but failed to take his complaints seriously and then terminated — allegedly unlawfully — him in March 2014.

Tucker worked on a project to create a new line of paint colors. One of the shades was given the name “Tucker Chocolate.”

The company already had a color named “Clinton Brown.” A co-worker pointed out the names of the two paint colors, which together contained Tucker’s first and last name, and thought it was funny, according to the lawsuit.

“Tucker found it to be repulsive,” the complaint reads.

“Coupled with ‘Tucker Chocolate,’ it was racially offensive and demeaning to Clinton Tucker.”

Tucker claims that in a meeting in which employees were asked about their favorite Benjamin Moore colors, he turned to a supervisor and said “well you know my least favorite colors.”

A colleague then spoke up, saying “if you think that is bad, what about Confederate Red?”

“Confederate Red” is another Benjamin Moore paint whose name seemingly references the southern side of the U.S. Civil War.

“Despite Mr. Tucker’s repeated complaints and protestations to [Benjamin Moore] management about these appallingly racial color names, no action was ever taken,” Tucker’s suit reads, pointing out that the company still sells the paint colors at its stores and online.

Tucker made other allegations, including that the company has a “toxic” work environment that is hostile to minorities.

Tucker, who identifies himself in the suit as homosexual, claims that since he started at the company in 2011, “it was clear…that he was not part of the traditional culture of the company.”

Approximately 10 of Benjamin Moore’s New Jersey headquarters’ employees were black and only one was homosexual, the suit claims.

The 34 year-old Tucker, who had nine years of work experience in online retail marketing, also says that the company denied him promotions and opportunities for growth while promoting whites.

His boss ignored an email Tucker sent requesting to be able to take off work to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the suit claims.

“This request was ignored and [the director of digital marketing], just mockingly smirked at the plaintiff on Martin Luther King holiday.”

Following that incident, Tucker alleges that he was demoted and given fewer responsibilities while white co-workers were given promotions.

Tucker claims that he was unlawfully terminated in March 2014.

His suit accuses Benjamin Moore of discrimination, a hostile work environment, and retaliation and seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

The Daily Caller contacted Tucker’s attorney, Charles Schalk to clarify the accusations.

“Yes, the allegation is the colors were named after my client,” Schalk told TheDC.

On its website, Benjamin Moore describes “Tucker Chocolate” as “capturing the 1798 color requested by St. George Tucker for his home facing Courthouse Green, this deep brown is classic and understated.”

Benjamin Moore Paints did not return TheDC’s request for comment.



(end)

I wonder if Donald Sterling painted his room with Confederate Red?

Since it is summertime, I've been laying out in the sun a bit. I like to be tanned, but don't go overboard with it (bad for the skin).

Now with ^that^ in mind - and if I worked there - I would be HONORED if they named a color after me.....

What would it be called?

'Tanny Fanny'.

Thank you.

Quote:

---

“Yes, the allegation is the colors were named after my client,” Schalk told TheDC.

---

Unless you can PROVE that, you really (In My "Watched a lot of Law and Order" Opinion) don't have a case...

Because if you can't prove the racism, you can't proved you were fired because of it..

I also don't like that pointing out people of other colors got promotions is a sign that you're being mistreated... in a world where companies have to employ so many people of certain color/race/sex/etc..

I think it's pretty obvious that the colors were named after him. You would have to be painfully ignorant to disagree.

"Pretty obvious" doesn't mean anything, all the company has to do is show something else with those two names and they're off the hook...

And some courts can be painfully ignorant some times...

Not true. It's a lawsuit, not a criminal case. Clinton Chocolate Brown Tucker has got some cash coming to him, an Benjamin Moore deserves it.

j/c, for laffs.

The next Benjamin Moore paint colors....


1. "Paper Bag Tan"
2. "Almost Us"
3. "Not Quite Right" Taupe
4. "Better Than Brown"
5. "High Yella" (please read the link)
6. "Deep Fried/Golden Brown"
7. "Kinky Tan"
8. "Honey-Toned"
9. "Malted Chocolate"
10. "Mulatto."

____________________


My lawyer is on speed dial.... and I'm lying in wait until I get My Chance...


My yacht will be named: "Caramel Sweetness."
My Gulfstream will be named: "Heaven's Half-Breed"



It's only a matter of time...

You have no idea how much I appreciate your participation on this forum !

Always a man with plan ..

Let's see.. if the colors were named before he got there or they have documentation saying why they were named, then it sounds like an odd coincidence...

Confederate red.. get over it. If you don't like it, don't use it. The confederacy existed, people have differing opinions on what the word "confederate" means to them.... so there is a paint named after it, get over it.

Asking for MLK day off.. if he asked for it as a vacation day and was denied, then they should have a reason for denying him a day of vacation.. if he asked for it as a holiday, then if the company policy doesn't have it as a holiday, which most don't, then deal with it... this is the one that makes me think the guy started to smell the cash..

As for his promotions and raises.. I would assume the company, like any decent size company, has documentation on why people were promoted and not promoted... if their paperwork is in order, I don't see where this guy has a leg to stand on...

Benjamin Moore might end up paying him off just to make him go away though but it won't be a 20th of what he wants.. it will be "go away" money.

I hate to crush your Hardy Boy moment, but it does say that in the first few paragraphs of the article. So I'm going to say, ignorance?

Jc

Everybody always wants some type of revenges when they are fired. This guy has no case.

LOL Really this is a bit much. I'd be honored if they named a paint after me. Why take to t his level.

As for him being fired, Generally, companies don't fire people because they complain about stuff like this. It sets them up for big losses. So I'm wondering, is there more to his termination?

I showed, absolutely, that they had the one color prior to his hiring. I posted a website from 2010 mentioning the color by name ... and he was not hired until 2011.

"Tucker worked on a project to create a new line of paint colors. One of the shades was given the name “Tucker Chocolate.”

Weird how he worked on a project about naming a new color and they named it really close to him. Good thing he wasn't involved at all with the naming process.

Tucker is not exactly a rare name.

Ross and Ryan Tucker, former Browns, are both offended as well by virtue of being excluded from being offended..

Geesh.. You know .... if they did name the color after him ...... most people would take that as a huge compliment.

People have become really whiny and overly sensitive anymore. They cry and whine over anything and everything, and try to make money off of any "offense", no matter how tiny and minute it may be, and whether 100 other sensible people would see no offense at all.

All he needs are sharp Atty,s to get a lib. judge pick enuff lib.jurors and they will get a P.C. verdict,and poof there goes another great company that hires thousands, cause dont forget the buzz word is racism

Most likely the plaintiff isn't even looking to take it to court. They are hoping for a simple quick settlement. Expecting the corporation to see a settlement as a cheaper option than dragging it through the system.

Monopoly-guy sues Pringles...will it ever end?

Care to elaborate?