Opinion ID: 2817721
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Harassment of Fortson

Text: From January 2010 to June 2012, plaintiff Fortson, a 52-year-old African American man, worked as a dispatcher for defendant Columbia Farms in its feed mill. Fortson processed customer orders for chicken feed and provided Columbia Farms truck drivers with delivery information for the orders. Fortson generally 2 Case: 14-13527 Date Filed: 07/16/2015 Page: 3 of 19 communicated with the truck drivers via radio, but the drivers sometimes entered the dispatch office and spoke to Fortson in person. These truck drivers often directed rude or offensive language at dispatchers, usually out of frustration with their delivery assignments or a dispatcher’s failure to have load paperwork ready on time. Fortson points to twelve incidents of harassment by truck drivers that occurred during his two-and-and-half years of employment with Columbia Farms. Nine of these comments involved racial epithets—specifically, “black ass” or “black ass fool.” Fortson made contemporaneous notes concerning the following twelve instances of harassment. On August 10, 2011, truck driver Kenny Allen called Fortson names and cursed at Fortson in person, saying, “Hey black ass hurry so I can get back and get another load.” On August 12, 2011, driver Danny Young threatened Fortson when Fortson did not have his paperwork ready for a load. Young said to Fortson, in person, “I’ll have your black ass taken care of[.] [Y]ou don’t [know] me.” On August 19, 2011, driver Steve Andrews—who Fortson identified as a “bully” and his primary harasser—“threatened and cursed” at Fortson after Fortson did not have his load paperwork ready. Andrews said to Fortson, “I’ll take your black ass across the track[,] buddy. You have my damn paper work ready.” On September 2, 2011, Andrews again “threatened” and “curs[ed]” at Fortson, stating, “I can have your black ass put away[,] buddy. Give me my damn 3 Case: 14-13527 Date Filed: 07/16/2015 Page: 4 of 19 paper work.” On September 8, 2011, Allen, apparently mad that he had received a long-haul assignment, cursed at Fortson and said, “You don’t know me[.] I’ll have your black ass fired.” On September 15, 2011, both Andrews and Young “scream[ed]” at Fortson to “hurry up” and get their paperwork ready. On September 30, 2011, Fortson noted that both “Andrews & Allen [were] cursing at [him],” in person, saying, “You are one dumb black ass taking up space for nothing.” On October 8, 2011, Andrews cursed at Fortson, “You sorry ass fuck[.] We need Brad[, a former dispatcher,] to come back to work.” On October 14, 2011, Andrews said to Fortson, “You no good mother fucker. Your black ass need [sic] to be cleaning up the load out[,] not on the computer.” On January 12, 2012, 1 Andrews and Monte Wynn, another Columbia Farms trucker driver, called Fortson an “ass hole” and a “black ass fool.” Andrews and Wynn were upset about their delivery assignments and wanted long-haul assignments that would yield more mileage pay. 1 Fortson testified that there was about a three-month break in the harassment because Andrews, the main “instigat[or],” was out from work. 4 Case: 14-13527 Date Filed: 07/16/2015 Page: 5 of 19 On January 18, 2012, Wynn “call[ed] [Fortson] names” and said, “I want to go to South Carolina[,] black ass[,] so that I can get a lot of miles.” On February 3, 2012, Andrews and Wynn threatened Fortson, stating, “We will take you out.” 2 From February 3, 2012, through his June 27, 2012, discharge, Fortson did not experience any further harassment. Fortson attributed this to the fact that all but one of the truck drivers who had harassed him either quit or were fired. B. Fortson’s Reports of Harassment to Columbia Farms Management Although Fortson never filed any written complaints with Columbia Farms, Fortson testified that he complained verbally on multiple occasions to his shift supervisor, defendant Melvin Dutton. 3 Dutton told Fortson that he would “take care of it” but never did anything to stop the harassment. In a declaration, supervisor Dutton admitted that “[r]ough or uncouth language was common at the feed mill.” Dutton indicated that dispatchers often were the target of “rude or angry comments from drivers who were dissatisfied 2 In the district court, Fortson also filed a questionnaire—purportedly filled out and signed by his primary harasser, Andrews—in which Andrews admits to harassing Fortson for “2 years[,] 3 months.” Andrews further indicates that he heard other Columbia Farms coworkers “use[] racial epithets toward the Plaintiff . . . 50 Times.” The district court, however, indicated that it would not consider the questionnaire because it contained hearsay, it was inconsistent with Fortson’s own testimony that he was subjected to only nine racial epithets, and Fortson could not rely on conduct to which he was oblivious to show a hostile work environment. On appeal, Fortson does not challenge the district court’s failure to consider the questionnaire, and thus, we too decline to consider it. 3 In his declaration, defendant Dutton, on the other hand, stated that “Fortson never complained to [him] that anyone used egregiously offensive racial epithets while speaking to or at him.” In his deposition, Dutton repeatedly denied that Fortson reported any harassment to him. 5 Case: 14-13527 Date Filed: 07/16/2015 Page: 6 of 19 with the routes they were assigned or impatient to get their loads on the road.” For example, when Dutton worked as a dispatcher before being promoted to a supervisor, Columbia Farms drivers often told Dutton to get his “white ass” in gear and “get their damn paperwork ready.” Fortson reported the harassment only to Dutton and not to any other members of Columbia Farms management. The record contains no evidence that either defendant Michelle Carlson, a Columbia Farms human resources manager, or defendant Barry Cronic, Columbia Farms’s Chief Executive Officer, had any knowledge of the harassment. In a declaration, defendant Carlson disputed several of the dates on which Fortson alleged that harassment occurred based on a review of time card records. Specifically, Carlson noted that several of the instances of harassment claimed by Fortson fell on days when either he or his alleged harasser did not work or did not work overlapping shifts. But, at this juncture, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to Fortson. C. Effect of Harassment on Fortson The record contains no evidence that the alleged harassment suffered by Fortson interfered in any way with his job performance or affected his ability to perform his duties. 6 Case: 14-13527 Date Filed: 07/16/2015 Page: 7 of 19 The only evidence of impact is on Fortson’s personal relationships outside of work. In an affidavit, Lisa Rucker, Fortson’s estranged wife, averred that the harassment Fortson suffered while employed at Columbia Farms caused Fortson great distress, led to the deterioration of their relationship, and ultimately resulted in their separation. Melesa Gary, Fortson’s ex-girlfriend, testified that during her relationship with Fortson, the harassment Fortson experienced at work caused him to become depressed, changed his normally happy attitude, and made him become “more agitated” and “complain[] more.” D. Fortson’s Termination On June 21, 2012, another employee photographed Fortson sleeping while on duty. When questioned by management, Fortson admitted to sleeping on the job. Columbia Farms’s employee handbook—a copy of which Fortson admitted receiving upon starting with Columbia Farms—states that employees are prohibited from sleeping on the job. The handbook further provides that a violation of any of its terms could result in immediate termination. After the sleeping incident on June 21, Columbia Farms initially suspended Fortson for three days pending further disciplinary action. Then, on June 27, 2012, Columbia Farms terminated Fortson.