08-09-2016
The EEOC has sued Texas based oil field services companies Nabors Industries and C&J Energy services, a successor company for Nabors, for racial harassment and retaliation. The lawsuit describes employees and managers hurling racial epithets towards African-American employees at work, including a company meeting attended by the District Manager, where an employee referred to an African-American supervisor with the N-word. In another incident, the African-American supervisor reported the treatment to management, but was terminated while the offending employees were retained. The EEOC suit names other workers who were retaliated against for opposing discrimination, including an employee who brought the matter directly to an Executive Vice President of the company.
In addition to the harassment and retaliation issues, the suit indicates that white employees were given preference based on race over black employees in duties, compensation and job assignments. The lawsuit further charges that employees who reported discrimination to Nabors management and who cooperated with EEOC's investigation were subjected to reprisal actions which sometimes led to firing.