Sabrina A. Bernard has filed a lawsuit against Doug Ashy Building Materials Inc. and Doug Ashy Building Materials - Lake Charles, LLC in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, under the case ID 2:24-cv-00510 on April 17, 2024. The plaintiff alleges racial discrimination and humiliation at her workplace under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. § 1981.
Bernard, an African American resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was employed by the defendants as a Warehouse Stock Clerk since May 18, 2022. The complaint details an incident involving Assistant Store Manager Al Menard who allegedly required Bernard and another African American employee to perform a "monkey dance" to leave work early.
The plaintiff asserts that this humiliating act was never required from Caucasian employees and was performed in front of other staff members and customers. She lodged a complaint about this racially inappropriate behavior with Menard on June 26, 2023 but it was dismissed as a joke.
Bernard is seeking judgment under Title VII for racial discrimination and humiliation she suffered at her workplace. She is also seeking damages for emotional distress caused by these racially charged incidents.