Posted on 03/23/2006 10:31:29 AM PST by Abathar
CONROE, Texas -- A man was awarded a million dollar settlement after his co-worker put a noose around his neck and choked him in the company bathroom, officials told KPRC-TV in Houston on Tuesday.
Charles Hickman worked at CCSI, Commercial Coating Services Inc., near Conroe in Montgomery County in 2002.
He sued his former employer for racial discrimination and harassment after verbal harassment turned into physical abuse in one of the company's restrooms.
Hickman said the harassment culminated in October 2002 when a white colleague placed a noose around his neck in a bathroom and began choking him while co-workers watched.
Hickman said he lost consciousness briefly before his boss intervened.
"I never did get, 'I'm sorry Mr. Hickman -- what that guy ever did to you.' I never got that," Hickman said. "I was scared. I thought I wasn't going to be here today talking to you."
The company agreed to a settlement of more than $1 million and will pay Hickman's medical bills. It will also place a marker on the premises indicating that Hickman was a dedicated employee.
"Without a doubt, in the 16 years that I've been practicing, this is the worst case of discrimination I've ever seen," said Rudy Sustaita, an attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Sustaita said that prior to the attack, managers at CCSI did not stop employees from harassing Hickman after complaints were filed.
The EEOC said changes would also come with the settlement.
"They're going to train their employees. They're going to let them know that this sort of behavior is not the sort of thing that is acceptable," Sustaita said.
Hickman started working at CCSI in March 2002 through a job with a temporary agency. Five months later, he was made a fulltime employee as a sandblaster. He quit in October after the alleged incident.
Hickman said he stayed on the job despite the harassment and discrimination to support his wife and five children.
"There is no dollar figure, whatever, that can justify what happened because I'm mentally scarred," Hickman said.
The company, which is under new management, did not comment about the settlement. It agreed to work with the EEOC to overhaul its hiring and employment practices. At the time of the attack, Hickman was the only Black employee of the company. That has since changed.
The coworker accused of putting the noose around Hickman's neck pleaded guilty of a class A misdemeanor assault. He served a 270-day sentence and was fined $100 for court costs.
Seems this guy is awfully lucky he didn't get charged with a hate crime, he must have had a great attorney to get off so light.
He should have been nailed for attempted murder.
He could have killed the guy. Then he'd be looking at the chair. Misdemeanor? What a joke.
"Hickman said the harassment culminated in October 2002 when a white colleague placed a noose around his neck in a bathroom and began choking him while co-workers watched."
Who carries a noose around? What a freak. Needs an a$$-whippin'.
What a freaking moron!
Noose a person to the point of passing out... haha funny stuff... -_- Put a burning cross in his yard too.. that would really be funny.
Freaking idiot.
Shoulda kicked his a55.
They need to fire their employees and hire some who already know that lynching your black co-workers is not acceptable behavior. Good grief!
I read the headline on this and was all set to look at this as another crybaby complaining about percieved racism. Boy was I wrong.
""They're going to train their employees. They're going to let them know that this sort of behavior is not the sort of thing that is acceptable," Sustaita said."
They need to look at hiring procedure. Any employee stupid enough to need to be trained not to do something like this ought not to be on the payroll.
Odd component to the settlement. Hickman was apparently a full-time employee there for two months at the most.
Can't believe the guy got off so light. Just think, he can still vote and own firearms, while all those people who get charged for felony domestic abuse for shoving their wife onto the couch. Go figure.
He was treated like a public union employee.
Sounds like that moron EMT worker who shocked his co-worker to death. What passes for funny for some people is astounding.
People need to be trained to not put nooses around their co-worker's neck?
But at least now I got some 22inch blings on my Hummer and some phat izzle around my nizzle.
I don't talk like that, and I don't know any black people who really talk like that. ...... so what are you trying to say? That getting choked unconcious is worth $600,000 (because you know his attorney takes a third)? How do you know Mr. Hickman doesn't intend to start a business, open a money market account or send his kids through college with that money.......... very telling Hottieboy.
A pretty revolting, racist comment. That poster sounds like one of the perpetrators of the crime.
So how much did the taxpayers shell out to house and feed this criminal for 9 months? And how much did the taxpayers shell out in actual court costs, public defender costs, etc.?
And yes, he should have been hit with attempted murder, unlawful imprisonment, and several other felony charges. How the heck are the up-and-coming lowlifes (like the non-intervening spectators to the hanging) supposed to get the message that doing this sort of thing is absolutely unthinkable?
!?!?!?!
Not everywhere. This is a Texas story, though. :)
I work as a corporate trainer and I will need to add this to my list of things to cover going forward. But golly, all those people I DIDN'T tell.......
What a maroon!
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