Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Georgia

A friend of mine works for a surveying company. A black man called in a spoke with her boss, one of the owners, about doing a job. They were unable to agree on a price and the man decided to take his business elsewhere. When my friends boss hung up the phone from the call, he turned to her and said, "That's just as well because, to tell you the truth, I'd just as soon not do any work for niggers anyway. My friend was sickened and appalled and very disturbed by this. The fact that she has a black daughter-in-law and mixed grandchildren, all of whom she loves very much, just made the pain of that racial slur even worse. She is afraid to speak up in any way because she can't afford to lose her job. Does she have any recourse, short of quitting, which she can't afford to do, especially in today's economy or does she just have to accept that type of work environment? She is greatly distressed by the incident, but doesn't feel that there is any action she can take.


Asked on 8/12/09, 8:00 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Scott Riddle Law Office of Scott B. Riddle, LLC

I am not sure what you mean by "recourse" or action she can take. Are you actually asking whether your friend can collect a nice sum of money because she was offended by someone else's comments?? There is no general right to not be offended (though in far different circumstances and parties, there might be a claim for a hostile work environment). She can choose to work there, or look for work elsewhere. The boss likely loses a lot of business, and perhaps personal relationships, with his attitude, but it is not likely she is going to change that.

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Answered on 8/18/09, 11:36 am


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