An Owensboro man reported a work-related incident to the local chapter of the NAACP where he claims he was fired after reporting being called the N-word by a coworker.
Jamar Jackson, 28, was placed at Walmart on Leitchfield Road through People Ready, a national staffing agency with a local branch that employs approximately 350 workers. Jackson, a black man, said while on the job last week, a white coworker, also placed at the store by People Ready, called him the N-word.
While Jackson admitted he began the conversation with the other employee, joking that he needed to “get back to work,” the situation escalated and the racially derogatory term was used.
Jackson said he immediately reported the situation to his supervisor at People Ready who contacted management at Walmart. Both Jackson and the other employee were escorted off the premises and asked not to return to work.
Owensboro Times reached out to Walmart’s corporate office who commented on the situation.
“We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind and we expect our vendors to manage their employees consistent with Walmart’s statement of ethics, particularly our principle of respect for the individual,” said Tara Aston, senior manager of National Media Relations for Walmart. “We asked People Ready to no longer assign these individuals to work at our store due to their offensive behavior.”
According to Robert Paulin, the Owensboro branch manager of People Ready, Jackson’s firing was the result of miscommunication. When the situation was made clear to local Walmart management, who previously believed Jackson “engaged in an altercation” with the other employee, Paulin said he was welcomed back to Walmart “in a matter of hours.”
“Jamar refused to go back,” he said. “He was never terminated from People Ready. He is still on good terms. We think highly of him and want him to work where he wants and feels safe.”
Jackson said even though he was offered his job back and that the employee who called him the N-word was terminated both from his placement at Walmart and with People Ready, he does not want to return because of the way the situation was handled.
“I did everything right,” he said. “I reported it and I didn’t touch him.”
Jackson said other incidents, including racial comments, were reported regarding this employee prior to last week’s situation.
“It shouldn’t have been a three-strike thing,” he said. “It should have been no tolerance.”
Rhondalyn Randolph, the president of Owensboro’s NAACP chapter, said this isn’t the only time a black man has reported being called the N-word at work.
“There have been three complaints this year of people being called the N-word and nothing being done about it,” she said. “The previous three complaints were not followed through with, two of which were fired or reassigned to another job because it was a temp agency.”
Randolph said Owensboro’s NAACP has opened 51 investigations since 2014 and averages about 12 complaints per year. Complaints range from a cross burning and property vandalism of black business owners to unequal punishment in the workplace and wage discrimination.
“What I find is that most companies don’t want to address discrimination or harassment issues especially if they can move the one being harassed out of the picture,” she said. “When this is done, it puts the problem back in the lap of the victim and leaves the perpetrator to harass someone else because they haven’t been held accountable. It’s not an easy issue to confront if you don’t have the experience in dealing with how to resolve the conflict.”
Randolph has conducted training on how to recognize workplace race harassment and how to resolve racial conflict in the workplace for companies in Owensboro who want to be proactive.
“More times than not it’s not the company policy to discriminate or allow discriminatory behavior or practices, but certain individuals within the companies that can create a culture of harassment because they are racist against minority groups,” she said.
Randolph said Jackson has submitted the necessary documentation to start an investigation into the situation at Walmart, but it is too early in the process for any determination.
Jackson, who owns Little Legends Youth Boxing and Mentoring, said this isn’t the first situation where he has experienced discrimination. He said he has been told in a previous job that he was only hired because of affirmative action. He uses these life experiences to help teach the kids he mentors through his boxing program.
“I tell the kids don’t fight because of words,” he said. “Speak your mind and be respectful, but don’t accept discrimination.”
