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Jun 11, 2008 1:52 pm US/Central
NASCAR Chairman: Grant Didn't Report Harassment
France Says Former Official Never Told Management About Racial And Sexual Discrimination
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) ―
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NASCAR CEO Brian France, shown here addressing the media in January, says Mauricia Grant's law suit is the first he learned of her harassment claims.
Jason Smith/Getty Images
NASCAR chairman Brian France denied Wednesday that a former official complained to her supervisors about racial and sexual discrimination, claims she alleged led to her eventual firing.
Mauricia Grant filed a $225 million suit against NASCAR on Tuesday, alleging racial discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliatory termination. Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector for NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series.
France said Wednesday the detailed filing was the first NASCAR learned of her claims.
"The disappointing thing is she makes a lot of claims, none of them reported," said France. "The fact that it went on as she stated, for many months, but never bothered to tell anyone at management what was going on - which is what our policy says - is very disappointing.
"We would have liked, if those type things were in fact going on, we would have loved to have done an investigation and a review of such an allegation."
France said NASCAR will review Grant's claims, which included 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination she says began when she was hired in January 2005 through her October 2007 firing.
In addition to Grant's human resources file, the review is expected to include interviews with everyone named in the lawsuit.
Among those identified in Grant's suit are Nationwide Series director Joe Balash, assistant series director Mike Dolan, two supervisors, NASCAR's senior manager for business relations, the human resources director and 17 of Grant's fellow officials. All of the defendants are white.
Of the 17 officials named in the suit, two no longer are with NASCAR.
David Duke was fired within the past six weeks, and NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said his termination was not related to Grant's claims. Mike Wilford left NASCAR amicably during the 2006 season.
France did not address the validity of Grant's claims. But he insisted NASCAR first heard of her complaints when the suit was filed.
"Our policy is such that it's very clear - we talk to employees all the time about making sure that their work environment is a good one. If it's not, if there's any problems, they have a very clear path to get it solved. But she didn't do that, and that's what every employee at NASCAR is instructed to do if they think they are in a situation of discrimination or harassment or whatever it might be.
"But she just didn't do that, and in fact has now filed a lawsuit as a remedy to this problem. We'll deal with that as well."
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