JEFFERSON CITY – After a damages trial, a Cole County Judge issued a $1 Million Judgment today in favor of a former Chillicothe corrections officer in in a civil lawsuit alleging that the Missouri Department of Corrections violated the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) when it racially discriminated and retaliated against him after he reported race discrimination at the prison. The Judge previously found the Department of Corrections was liable for race discrimination and retaliation on August 16, 2023.
The 11-year former corrections officer was fired after he reported race discrimination to human resources. The Court found that the Department’s conduct “demonstrated reckless indifference” to the former employee’s rights when it failed to investigate his complaints, permitted retaliation after he reported discrimination and filed his lawsuit, and generally ignored the issue of racial discrimination at the prison.
The employee was represented by Nimrod Chapel of Chapel Law Group, LLC and Cyrus Dashtaki of Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC.
“Despite much progress, we continue to see the persistence of overt race discrimination in the workplace,” said Nimrod Chapel. “No one should have to endure discrimination due to their race or retaliation for speaking out against discrimination.”
“Discrimination is expensive – period,” said Cyrus Dashtaki. “The Court’s Order and Judgment sends a clear message to all employers, private and public, that discrimination will not be tolerated in Missouri.”
Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC is committed to protect the rights and seek relief for all employees who are harmed by discrimination on the basis of race and retaliation for exercising their rights under Missouri law.
Dashtaki Law Firm, LLC exclusively represents employees standing up against employment discrimination based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, or disability.