Racial Discrimination Suit Brought Against Hanes
NEW YORK -- Racial improprieties abound at Hanesbrands Inc. – the global apparel company known for Hanes, Playtex and spokesperson Michael Jordan – according to a racial discrimination lawsuit recently filed by The Boyd Law Group, PLLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.
The suit was filed on behalf of former Hanesbrands Inc. employee Yunusa Kenchi, an African-American and devout Muslim, who was terminated from his role as a creative designer in the company's New York office after weathering what he describes as consistent insults and ridicule from a hostile supervisor. "There were numerous incidents that led Mr. Kenchi to feel that this was a predominantly hostile work environment," saidPatrick Boyd, partner at The Boyd Law Group and attorney for Mr. Kenchi. "He observed from early on that his supervisors viewed him only as a minority quota-filler." Mr. Kenchi states that just days before his termination, he intercepted an email* from his direct supervisor discussing his impending discharge, which stated, "We should go forward with getting this [N-word] out of here." Mr. Kenchi was fired and offered only a modest severance package, which he refused. The supervisor was chided, but the offending email was deleted. No further action was taken by the company until Mr. Kenchi's attorneys threatened suit. The lawsuit seeks a formal apology from the company and a demonstration of good faith efforts to improve the work environment for all minority employees. Mr. Kenchi's attorneys are considering amending the complaint, based on recent evidence that the company knew about and tried to cover up the offending email until they heard from Mr. Boyd's firm. "In all my career I've never had better evidence of discrimination," said Boyd. "In addition to the email, there's documentation that the two highly paid supervisors met afterward to cover it up. I look forward to the opportunity to try the case in court if the circumstances permit."
