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Woman suing Exxon Mobil claims she was discriminated against(Beaumont Enterprise, The (Texas) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 4--A Beaumont woman has filed suit in federal court against Exxon Mobil claiming she was passed over for promotions because of her race and told that she would not be an "Uncle Tom" if she followed advice given in a lecture she received after filing a complaint. Carla Briggs, a laboratory tester trainee, claims in a lawsuit filed in Houston that since 2005 she has been repeatedly passed over for promotion to contract chemist in favor of less experienced, non-black applicants. In 2007, the lawsuit claims, Briggs filed a grievance. After it was investigated, the lawsuit claims, her "troubleshooting duties significantly increased" in retaliation for the complaint. Briggs' suit states that her grievance was amended to include the retaliation claim, after which she was called in to visit with a human resources manager. Briggs claims she was told by a plant superintendent that she "is black and (is) supposed to take abuse and be harassed." The lawsuit further claims that Briggs was told that she would "not be an 'Uncle Tom' if she went back into the laboratory and showed that she had internalized the advice she had been given. Kathleen Jackson, a spokeswoman for Exxon Mobil, said the company has not been served with the lawsuit yet. Exxon Mobil does not tolerate discriminatory practices, she said, and the company has comprehensive policies in place prohibiting discrimination and harassment that are rigorously enforced. "Exxon Mobil denies that Ms. Briggs has been the victim of discrimination or any other unlawful conduct and we will vigorously defend ourselves against the lawsuit if served," she said. Briggs' attorney, Angela Harrington of Houston, returned a phone call to The Enterprise Monday morning and indicated that she would discuss the case later. To see more of The Beaumont Enterprise, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.www.beaumontenterprise.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |