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A lawsuit has been filed against NASCAR from a former Nationwide Series race official. Mauricia Grant has filed suit citing racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. Mauricia is seeking $250 million in damages.
Mauricia Grant was employed by NASCAR from January 2005 until October 2007. It was also stated that Grant endured various forms of harassment from the time she was hired in 2005 until she was let go. Due to the harassment and discrimination she suffers from gastrointestinal distress, headaches, crying jags, and has not worked since her subsequent firing.
NASCAR insists they take a zero tolerance stance towards any type of harassment and is looking into the matter once they respond to the lawsuit. It is hard to know exactly what to make of this lawsuit, the claims are heinous and if are true should be dealt with severely. But I take issue with the dollar amount of the suit and the fact that Ms. Grant continuously endured this harassment for years before she ultimately filed suit against her former employer.
It was also stated that Grant repeatedly complained to her supervisors to no avail. I believe that is quite possible, but why not quit or file suit before being fired? This sort of looks like a case of a disgruntled employee. No job is worth the emotional distress or the terrible work environment.
NASCAR has always been considered a good ol' boy sport and it will take a long time to change that perception, if ever. It is a sport that is dominated by men and even though the door has been open to women, men still hold a majority of the positions. So for a woman to work in this sport, one has to learn to play with the boys, have a thick skin, and realize men talk in a manner my dad always called "shop talk". Basically it's not sweet or politically correct. Shop talk doesn't excuse a lack of common decency and if these men did talk to Ms. Grant using racial or sexual harassment, then they should be held accountable for that. It doesn't mean $250 million should be awarded, that is almost as heinous as the claims themself.
My fear is what kind of damage this lawsuit will do and how it will affect those women who want to work within NASCAR. Will women live in fear of the men they work around? How will NASCAR handle this and ensure the women who do work in the sport presently are not victims themselves due to this lawsuit? Could this become something that takes women a step back in the sport? At this point NASCAR is innocent until proven guilty in this manner. Mauricia Grant and her legal team will have to prove otherwise.
No matter what side of the coin you are on, no one wins in these cases. There are many women who can work in this type of environment and be able thrive. Many women cannot. But man or woman, there has to be respect given to ensure a good working environment.
Sharon@insidethepitbox.com
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