Local man wins $178k settlement in racial discrimination case

A Philadelphia man was awarded $178,000 in back pay and compensation for emotional distress as a result of the race-based discrimination against him.

In 2007, CBM Construction Services of Mount Laurel, New Jersey employed Carl Carpenter. On several occasions his supervisor called him by specific racial slurs and on one occasion told him he should remove the brown color from his face. The supervisor also urged fellow CBM employees to hide their valuables as Carpenter approached.

According to a statement released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s office, upper management chose to accept the supervisor’s side without any investigation and no disciplinary action against the supervisor was taken.

Carpenter was dismissed from his job in 2008, even though his most recent performance evaluation described his work as “above average.”

A judge ruled that CBM must pay Carpenter $118,767 in back pay and pre-judgment interest, as well as $60,000 in damages for emotional distress in addition to a $10,000 statutory penalty, within 45-days of the June 1 ruling.