A husband and wife have won $11.3m in damages from their former employer, the Michigan Department of Correction, after a jury agreed they had suffered racial discrimination. The couple were fired by Corrections Officer Robert Smith for being black when he was hired as an officer in 2000. Lisa Griffey was called a "mammy" in the workplace—a term she said was derogatory towards black women and was also referred to as the "black one". Upon filing a civil rights case, a copy of Lisa's lawsuit was sent to the boss of her husband in a bid to get him fired, the couple's lawyer said.
A husband and wife have won $11.3m in damages from their former employer, the Michigan Department of Correction, after a jury agreed they had suffered racial discrimination. Lisa and Cedric Griffey had worked at the department for 19 and 29 years, respectively. Lisa Griffey was called a "mammy" in the workplace—a term she said was derogatory towards black women and was also referred to as the "black one". Upon filing a civil rights case, a copy of Lisa's lawsuit was sent to the boss of her husband in a bid to get him fired, the couple's lawyer said.