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Racism Suit Filed Against Yellow

Three black employees have filed a federal lawsuit against Yellow Freight Systems, alleging discrimination and racism

by Staff
December 29, 1999
1 min to read


Three black employees have filed a federal lawsuit against Yellow Freight Systems, alleging discrimination and racism.

Driver Matt Antoine and dock workers Lilbert Beasley and Sam Burnett filed a lawsuit last week in U.S. District Court in Denver against the Kansas-based less-than-truckload carrier.
The three claim they were discriminated against and were often called racial slurs at Yellow's predominantly white service center in Aurora, CO. Antoine accused shift manager Steve Smith of saying the black men looked like monkeys.
The men say they repeatedly complained to the terminal manager and other supervisors, but no action was ever taken.
Officials at Yellow Freight headquarters told the Associated Press that the corporation has a zero tolerance policy against discrimination in hiring or promotion practices.
Yellow is also one of several companies being accused of discrimination by a group of black truck drivers in Nashville. About 60 drivers have formed the Coalition of African-American Truckers and have complained to the local chapter of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People that Yellow Freight, USF Holland, Roadway and CB Ragland are among local companies that pass them over to hire less experienced white drivers. The group says black drivers who do get local jobs are often the targets of verbal abuse.

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