Ex workers at Detroit trucking company stage protest, allege racial harassment

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Former workers at a Detroit trucking company staged a protest Wednesday, claiming their employer racially harasses its employees.

Protesters in front of Environmental Wood Solutions were mostly made up of former employees after they filed a lawsuit against the company.

Former employers accuse the company of racial discrimination and unfair labor practices.

"I’m here with a bunch of mixed emotions. I’m happy on a journey because we're on a journey for justice but I’m very angry for what they did to me and other claimants on the case," former employee Darryl Morgan said.

Former employees said they were called racist names, treated differently because of their race, and said they were threatened when they tried to defend themselves.

"(For) standing up for rights as an individual, as an African American, as a man, I got persecuted for doing that," Jeremy Mitchell Edmonds said.

Attorney Shareef Akeel said this kind of action is necessary and part of what's needed to fix the system.

"The best form of democracy is transparency and when you have transparency that leads to accountability. Our aim here is to bring justice and accountability to these men because there are laws to protect them," Akeel said.

In a statement, Environmental Wood Solutions said "we are unwavering in our commitment to provide a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. We take any allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously and have established thorough reporting and investigative procedures, to address them. We are disappointed by the unfounded allegations of a few former employees and will defend ourselves against these claims."