'He calls me masta': Sears worker wins $5.2m damages for racial slur said in 'slave dialect' and being called the 'N word'

'He calls me masta': Sears worker wins $5.2m damages for racial slur said in 'slave dialect' and being called the 'N word'
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:39 PM on 26th October 2011


A Sears employee has been awarded $5.2million in damages after being subjected to repeated racial discrimination by a colleague.

African American employee Medro Johnson, from Sacramento, California, claim that the racial slurs first started in August 2008 when he was at a company barbecue with his family.

Court records say that Paul St Hilaire approached him and blurted out 'Medro calls me Masta' in 'slave dialect' before walking off, laughing.



Damages: Medro Johnson, 49, received $5.2million in compensation after being fired by Sears Home Improvement and racially discriminated


As well as the 'Medro calls me Masta' comments, St Hilaire told Johnson in October 2008: 'I'm going to get you and you're not going to see it coming.'

Mr Johnson complained to supervisors about the threat and the 'Masta' comment from two months earlier. The lawsuit notes that nothing came of the complaint.

In another occasion, St Hilaire was said to have repeatedly 'bashed' Mr Johnson with his shoulder in December 2008.



Appeal: A spokesman for Sears Home Improvement said: 'We are very disappointed in the verdict, and we are exploring all of our post-trial options


He called him a 'n***er' and bashed him again so that coffee spilled down his shirt. Mr Johnson retaliated by hitting the salesman with the back of his hand, an action which got Johnson sacked.

There were many witnesses to the encounter at a company training session. St Hilaire faced no disciplinary action.

Mr Johnson's attorney said most of the evidence pointed to the fact the company did not want to take any action against St Hilaire who was one of its top sales producers nationally.

Christopher Whelan told the Sacramento Bee: 'The message for Sears is that it just can't ignore the law, no matter how much money the harasser earns for them. They subjected Medro to very serious risks and fear of retaliation.

'And they stepped over the line with subsequent acts by management to avoid being exposed for failing to follow the law.'

Attorneys for Sears Home Improvement, Sears Holdings Corp and St Hilaire referred questions to a company spokesman, who said: 'We are very disappointed in the verdict, and we are exploring all of our post-trial options, including appeal. We have no further comment at this time.'

St Hilaire is no longer with the company.

Mr Johnson now works for a real estate company but said his life has been in turmoil since the incident.

He said: 'I've been in a constant struggle since 2008. Once we depleted all our savings, our retirement, our kids' college fund, then it got really tough.

'It's scary before you get down to the end. Then it's tough when you try to figure out how you're going to make ends meet and, at the same time, fight this battle against this huge corporation that doesn't really care about you.'

But the 49-year-old said he was pleased with the jury's decision: 'I feel like justice was served, and I would hope that the award will send a message to Sears and that they will change their behaviour so no one has to suffer like I had to suffer over these years.'