Four men win $19 million in racism suit
Thursday, August 28, 2008 10:48 AM PDT
PORTLAND (AP) — A federal jury has awarded $19 million to four former salesmen for a New York-based automobile dealer after ruling they were victims of racism at work.
Carlos Barfield, Marcus Arnold, Jahaeel Hardy and Kent Paul sued in 2006 after they said managers and other workers at the Thomason Toyota dealership in suburban Gladstone encouraged racist remarks that management failed to stop.
The verdict Wednesday was against the dealership’s former owner, the New York-based Asbury Automotive Group, which bought a majority stake in Thomason and its nine new-car dealerships in 1998.
Asbury sold the dealership before the lawsuit was filed in 2006.
Company officials and its lead Portland attorney did not return calls seeking comment.
Keith Dozier, co-counsel for the four men, said the verdict was a triumph of the jury system.
‘‘You can’t come into the state of Oregon and treat people badly and make money off them and expect that you’re not going to get caught,’’ Dozier said.
