Black Iowa Worker Sues John Deere Saying He Was Subjected To Racist Jokes And Threats
Johnnie Ray Hogan III, a veteran Iowa employee of farm equipment manufacturer Deere & Co., known widely as John Deere, recently sued the company, alleging co-workers and supervisors subjected him to racist jokes and threats for years.
According to the Des Moines Register, Hogan, who has worked at John Deere’s Des Moines Works since 2010, said many employees labeled him “the angry Black man” and refused to associate with him once he complained about how he was treated.
According to a lawsuit filed in Polk County District Court in late June, Hogan, 40, also alleged that his managers scrutinized his work more. He is suing the company for harassment and discrimination on the basis of race, as well as retaliation.
"John Deere has allowed a culture of racism to flourish and thrive within the Des Moines Works facility," his attorney, Roxanne Conlin, wrote in the complaint, according to the Register. "Johnnie Hogan has been insulted, harassed, belittled, humiliated, and excluded all because he is a Black male."
Attorneys for John Deere have not filed an answer to the complaint, however a spokesperson on Friday stated “workplace discrimination and harassment have no place at John Deere and the allegations do not reflect our principles and expectations of our employees."
According to the lawsuit, a co-worker gave Hogan the nickname “the angry Black man” in 2019. That name allegedly stuck with other co-workers and supervisors allegedly using it during meetings.
During a lunch break in January 2020, the lawsuit details, three co-workers joked about Hogan eating fried chicken. When Hogan told one co-worker that he had worked in the cotton department, the co-worker allegedly said, "It's good you and your ancestors have something in common.”
In March of the same year, a co-worker allegedly asked Hogan to teach him how to make “Black people cornbread.” Hogan says he told a civil rights liaison about his co-workers’ alleged racism in November 2020, however “nothing happened as a result,” according to the lawsuit.
Hogan’s team leader allegedly then allegedly threatened him a month later, saying he “needed to be chained to a dock.” That same day, one of Hogan’s co-workers allegedly told him that no one would be able to find him if someone threw him into a box filled with black machine parts.
Several other incidents also took place and were detailed in the lawsuit. In addition to asking for damages, Hogan asked a judge to file an injunction against Deere and the supervisors, requiring them to take steps to avoid further racial discrimination at the factory.
