An employee in New Jersey says he faced discrimination at work because he is Jewish. The man, who works for the public works department maintained by the Borough of Avalon, says he was subjected to both retaliation and anti-Semitic remarks while in the workplace.
The lawsuit filed by the man accuses his current supervisor of violating employment law by creating a hostile workplace environment. He says the supervisor would often make derogatory remarks and inappropriate jokes regarding the worker’s faith. The plaintiff says the supervisor would share these remarks with other employees.
The plaintiff says the tipping point was an obscene “joke” regarding Jewish people that the plaintiff found neither amusing nor harmless. The lawsuit alleges that the N-word was spoken regularly by the supervisor as well as inappropriate comments regarding the heritage of several employees.
The lawsuit alleges that the Avalon officials did nothing about the abusive behavior of the supervisor despite the complaints of several employees. Officials for the Borough of Avalon remain silent regarding the situation.
The lawsuit also mentioned an incident in which the police encountered the supervisor in a wooded area. Reports indicate that the supervisor had weapons and expressed his intent to police to harm himself and others. The police say they resolved the situation without incident, and the supervisor faced no charges.
The plaintiff of the discrimination lawsuit says that the incident with the weapons caused him to fear for his safety at work. He says he spoke to police about the fear he experienced only to become the victim of more harassment for doing so. The supervisor reportedly told other workers he was “coming after” the plaintiff for attempting to get him fired. The plaintiff said his supervisor also began to speak negatively about his job performance and character. The plaintiff says the harassment and retaliation left him with no other option but to file a lawsuit in response to the discrimination he experienced.
Individuals who suffer discrimination in the workplace are often left to deal with the emotional distress they feel alone. Victims of discrimination may be more likely to enjoy the relief they deserve after consulting with an employment law attorney.