‘Are you stupid?’: Former BPU employee sues UG for racial discrimination, harassment
A woman suing the Unified Government said she faced discrimination and a “hostile work environment” as an employee of Wyandotte County’s publicly owned utility, according to a federal lawsuit.
Robin Brooks, who is Black, was employed with the Board of Public Utilities for three years. In that time, Brooks filed complaints with human resources, alleging her supervisor made inappropriate remarks and ignored COVID-19 related doctor’s notes requesting she work remotely while undergoing cancer treatment, according to the lawsuit petition filed Tuesday.
She raised concerns to the utility’s general manager, Bill Johnson, about receiving unfair treatment compared to her white counterparts. Each time she was dismissed, the lawsuit said.
The recent court filing is the latest to accuse the BPU of discrimination.
Lawsuits filed in the last two months accused the company of retaliating against an employee who reported a co-worker’s racist comments and barring a handicapped employee from working remotely or using parking spots closer to the building’s main entrance. Five other employees in 2022 similarly sued the Unified Government, which owns the utility company, over alleged harassment by colleagues and supervisors.
In one case, an employee accused the BPU of subjecting him to “intense surveillance” after wrongly assuming he lived outside the county, which would violate company policy.
BPU spokesman David Mehlhaff and Unified Government spokeswoman Krystal McFeders said they were unable to comment on pending litigation.
‘Lucky to have a job’
In August 2018, Robin Brooks left her job in Florida to work as a senior project manager for the Board of Public Utilities. A manager promised Brooks she would be a full time employee and entitled to benefits within six months of working for the company.
But that did not happen.
Seven months into her job, Brooks was still not given the benefits of a full time employee. She was also under the supervision of a man who she alleged made “racist and sexist comments”.
“I have never worked around this much diversity in my life,” the supervisor said to Brooks, according to the lawsuit.
He continued to promise her that she would “eventually become a full time employee,” but then went on to only transition her white counterparts into full time roles, the lawsuit said.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brooks requested to work from home since her immune system had been weakened by lupus. Her request was denied, despite multiple doctor’s notes.
In an April 2021 project meeting, the supervisor told Brooks that she needed to “know her place” and that he was going to “teach her, her place,” the lawsuit said. He then criticized her work, repeatedly asking Brooks “Are you stupid?” and “Are you a smart project manager?” in the middle of the meeting.
She reported the comments to Human Resources, the lawsuit said, but her concerns were dismissed. When she heard from Human Resources, the Vice President told her “You should be lucky to have a job.”
The supervisor started reallocating tasks normally done by Brooks and openly spoke about replacing her in June.
Then, in May, Brooks was diagnosed with cancer.
She submitted, in total, four doctor’s notes, stipulating she was at extreme risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19. Still, she was denied. Brooks felt the decision showed unfair treatment since many of her white colleagues were able to work from home, allegedly without a doctor’s note, according to the lawsuit.
She formally complained to the Director of Human Resources in an email, but never received any response. Brooks also reported her concerns to Bill Johnson, BPU’s general manager, in a text thread. He acknowledged her message, but did not respond or investigate her allegations further, the lawsuit said.
Brooks contends she was not being given benefits, a full time position, or fair treatment due to her supervisor’s racist and sexist ideologies, according to the lawsuit.
That July, she was demoted while undergoing cancer treatment.
By December, she “could no longer tolerate the discriminatory behavior” and believed it was “unsafe for her to continue,” the lawsuit said. That same month, she was “constructively discharged” by the company.
Her attorney’s are demanding a jury trial and financial compensation for damages relating to emotional distress. She’s also seeking reinstatement and back pay for the loss of income and benefits, according to the lawsuit.
Brooks’ legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This story was originally published June 1, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
