A Black millwright who claims he was dismissed for speaking out after a coworker used the N-word against him has been awarded over $1 million by a federal judge in Alabama. Last month, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bradley Murray handed down a judgment of $978,075, which was more than $338,000 more than the jury’s initial May decision.
The case revolves around 44-year-old Quentin Watts, who started a project at a Georgia-Pacific facility in Cedar Springs, Georgia, in May 2022 while employed for J & L Industrial Services. Watts claimed that within five days of starting work, he heard Robert Macks, a coworker, remark, “I see J & L hired this ni er up in here,” referring to him as the crew’s sole Black employee. After hearing the slur, Watts was supported by three white coworkers to report it to HR and superiors.
When Watts arrived on Monday, Macks was still there despite Watts having been informed that he would be dismissed. Watts brought his grievances to J & L’s headquarters in Alabama along with two of his white coworkers. The lawsuit claims that the two workers were let go.
The business acknowledged that Macks uttered the N-word, but said it was used in reference to ni er-rigging his welding shield. J & L did not fire him, but they did suspend him for three days. Watts claimed that this meek punishment encouraged him to continue bringing up the matter, but the firm transferred him rather than taking action against Macks.
Watts was transferred from his position as a millwright to J & L’s transportation shop in Monroeville, where he was not eligible for overtime, per diem, or additional compensation. Despite his repeated requests, he was not allowed to resume field work. Macks, on the other hand, kept up his millwrighting work on other projects.
Watts was officially laid off in February 2023 due to a reduction in force and the completion of his work duties. Since the business was still employing millwrights at the time, he contended that those justifications were untrue. His performance history even qualified him for rehire as an excellent worker.
Watts filed a lawsuit that Atlanta Blackstar saw, and in May, he made his case at a two-day trial. An eight-member, all-white jury unanimously found in his favor and awarded $639,240 in damages, which included punitive damages, mental distress, and lost income. Judge Murray later added back pay and front pay, increasing the award by almost $338,000 to about $1 million.
Watts’ lawyers celebrated the decision as a historic victory. According to his attorney Teresa Mastando, this sends a clear message that deliberate discrimination will not be accepted, and retaliation is worse in some ways because it penalizes workers who expose wrongdoing.
Given the conservative jury pool in southern Alabama, co-counsel Eric Artrip acknowledged that he was taken aback by the verdict, but he also thought Watts’ testimony was strong. Our client’s version was deemed credible by the jury, he said.
Watts, who was hurt at another work and is now a peanut truck driver, is thrilled with the decision. One of my conclusions, Artrip continued, is that people may be growing less tolerant of overt bigotry and revenge.
Watts proved that sometimes the last laugh is also the loudest when his horrible odyssey ended with vindication and a sizable payout.
