After working at Founders Brewing Company for nearly five years Tracy Evans was fired last June – one week after he had spoken with his supervisor about a coworkER using the “n-word” in front of him in reference to other African Americans.
“I became very upset with him and I said “you cannot say those things” and then he said it again actually, and then I said, “what are you doing why, why would you even use that language or that term?”, and then he said, “I was trying to explain”.
When the incident first occurred, Evans reported it to Human Resources, and the employee involved was reprimanded; but Evans says the racism continued; and that this was not the first time an incident like this happened to him while working at the company.
“There were times where there were lots of times that I didn't report these things because out of either fear of you know breaking the mold or people not believing you or people forcing you out because you don't fit that mold because you are a minority within that culture.”
According to court documents, Founder’s does not deny Evan’s allegation, but they do say the employee involved in the incident received a disciplinary warning, and that Evans was fired because he failed to make three different deadlines for an event proposal.
Evans says if he had had a workers protection agency backing him up none of this would have taken place as it did.
“In my particular case I would have had a resource to go to besides just your H.R. department. Without having organized labor, or some form of reassurance a lot of people don’t ever speak up. ”
The case between Evans and Founder is currently pending at the U.S. district court. You can hear Evans share his story this Saturday at Creston Brewery Company in Grand Rapids at 4:30pm.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News.