‘Obey the White’: White Connecticut DOT Supervisor Told Black Worker He Runs the ‘Place Like a Prison’ So He Would be Comfortable, Called Him a ‘Worthless Ni—er,’ Lawsuit Says
A Black worker with the Connecticut Department of Transportation has settled a lawsuit with the state that accused four DOT supervisors of using racial slurs and denying him opportunities for training and promotion. Tyquon Williams first sued the DOT in state court in 2022, alleging that he and other Black employees at the agency’s Milford garage were subjected to racial harassment and denied opportunities to advance. His lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star ran parallel to legal complaints by his co-worker Luis Ortiz, who claimed he faced retaliation for speaking out against racism that he and others experienced, including a segregated workplace, racial harassment, being denied promotions and called racial slurs including “sp-cs” and “n---rs,” the Inside Investigator reported. A Connecticut Department of Transportation garage. (Photo: CT.gov) Some of their claims were substantiated in an internal investigation report by the DOT in 2019, which found Black and Hispanic employees were subjected to racial slurs and derogatory comments that created a hostile work environment. The allegations were later upheld by the state Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity, resulting in suspensions for some individuals and diversity training for others. In one incident, Joe Kelly, then a DOT crew leader, was in the breakroom talking with employees about the department’s switch from orange trucks to new white trucks. In reference to the DOT’s old orange trucks and their mantra of “Obey the Orange,” meaning for drivers to slow down for work zones, Kelly allegedly said, “Now I’m going to get a bracelet that says, “Obey the White.” He then turned and looked at the minority workers in the room and said, “What do you people have to say about that? Obey the White.” Ortiz’s lawsuit was dismissed for procedural reasons, while the lawsuit by Williams was moved to federal court in 2023. In his amended complaint filed in December 2023, Williams, who held the position of maintainer 2, which involves managing materials and inventory, alleged that he requested training and interviews to advance to better-paying Grade 3 positions but was denied by his white supervisors, Pasqualino Bruno and Kelly, who allowed white co-workers to train and apply for those jobs. Meanwhile, Williams had to perform harder job duties under more intense scrutiny than his white co-workers, he claims. Williams also alleges that Kelly referred to him and other Black employees as “worthless ni***rs” and that Bruno told him that he would “run the place like a prison and make us (African American employees) feel at home.” Other white co-workers were allowed to refer to Williams as “a lazy n****r” without reprimand, the lawsuit says. Pasqualino and Kelly would hold meetings with only white workers to discuss and coordinate complaints against him and other African-American employees, the complaint contends. Two higher-up supervisors, Stephen Moran and Donald Remson, also acted against Williams to deny him training and promotions, the lawsuit argues, conduct that was the result of differential treatment based on his protected class as a Black African-American. All four white supervisors violated his right to equal protection under the 14th Amendment and discriminated against him in violation of federal civil rights law, the complaint says. As a result, his earning capacity is substantially impaired, he has lost and will continue to lose earnings and benefits, and will continue to suffer from humiliation, distress and physical and emotional injuries, while racking up litigation fees. Williams sought an injunction against the defendants to allow him to train for a Grade 3 position; to enjoin them from their unconstitutional actions and conduct against him; and unspecified monetary damages and attorney’s fees. The four defendants, represented by the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, denied all of Williams’ allegations of discrimination and unequal treatment in their answers. But in their motion to dismiss the case in January 2024, the AG’s office admitted the prior use of derogatory racial slurs by Williams’ direct supervisors, the Inside Investigator observed, yet argued that since Bruno and Kelly were no longer in supervisory roles over Williams, the case was moot because he was no longer being subjected to an ongoing violation of federal law. U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall ruled in June 2024 that Williams could not sue Bruno and Kelly in their official capacities, as they “currently have no influence” over his employment or authority to grant him the relief he seeks. But Hall found that Williams could continue his claims against them in their individual capacities. Hall also upheld the claims against Moran, the maintenance director, and Remson, the maintenance manager of DOT District 3, finding that “Williams presently continues to request and be denied, because of his race, training and advancement toward higher-paid positions … and Moran and Remson have the authority to remedy that violation.” After a settlement conference on March 26, the parties decided to settle, and an order dismissing the case was issued. Any monetary award or injunctive relief for Williams is not yet known, but is likely to be disclosed when the Connecticut Legislature reviews the settlement and disburses any funds due to Williams, who continues to work for the DOT at the Milford garage. Ortiz, who is now working for the Connecticut Department of Corrections, told Insider Investigation that he is happy Williams “got some semblance of justice,” but is disappointed that the DOT supervisors he sued didn’t face more consequences and remain employed by the department. A review of state open data records shows all defendants named in the lawsuit continue to work for Connecticut DOT and each earned over $100,000 in 2024, including overtime. “Ty was one of the guys who was dragged through the mud and treated like garbage just because he was Black,” Ortiz said. “No matter what happened to me, no matter what happened to the other people, no matter what happened to him, all the people that did these things and got away with it, every single one of them got a better job. They got a two- or three-day suspension with no pay and then they would give you a promotion to go somewhere else and get paid more money. So, I don’t see how the punishment they were handing out was supposed to fix anything.” Attorneys for the Attorney General’s office and Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Atlanta Black Star.
