A former Sedgwick County employee alleges in a lawsuit that his coworkers called him the “colored guy” and sang spirituals from the slavery era while he worked as a bridge crewman.
David Partridge filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Sedgwick County commissioners, The Wichita Eagle reported.
Partridge alleges that he encountered a racially hostile work environment while working for the county from December 2019 to August 2021.
After Partridge complained, a county investigation verified the racial discrimination, and Partridge was told he would not have to return to that work crew, according to the lawsuit.
Partridge had applied for a different position but was denied.
He was offered another position within the county at a lower salary.
The lawsuit said he was fired because he refused to return to the original work crew, and did not want to take a pay cut.