A federal court jury has awarded $25 million in damages to a Buffalo-area steel plant employee who says he his bosses failed to stop years of racial taunts and insults from his co-workers.
The Buffalo News reports that the jury on Tuesday found Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal and some of its former executives responsible for the treatment Elijah Turley endured while working at the company's steel plant, which closed in 2009.
During the trial, Turley, who is black, testified that ``KKK'' was written on the walls of the plant and a stuffed monkey with a noose around its neck was found hanging from his driver's side mirror.
Lawyers for ArcelorMittal said the company took steps to halt the harassment, including hiring a private investigator and suspending employees involved in the incidents.