Northwest Indiana Discussion

http://nwigazette.com/?p=3262

African-American Female Alleges Discrimination at Hammond Water Department
December 10, 2014 by Ken Davidson

by Ken Davidson

A former employee of the Hammond Water Department is alleging she did not receive the same pay and benefits that her white male predecessor received. In a Federal lawsuit filed today, Hazell Ridgell alleges that she worked in the position of inventory clerk at the Hammond Water Department for five years. She alleges that she did not receive a pay raise when she was placed into the position and, despite repeatedly asking for a raise, never received a raise in the five years she held the position. Hazell alleges that she was forced to resign due to the wage discrimination and other discriminatory actions including:

When the building that she worked in was being rehabilitated, Defendant moved
the employees to the basement. Later, during this period, Defendant eventually
gave all of Hazel’s whte co-workers a desk upstairs and left Hazel in the
basement.
Defendant did not provide Hazel with the two fifteen minute breaks it afforded
her white co-workers.
Defendant would sometimes let the employees in the department go home early.
However, Hazel was not allowed to do so. In fact, Hazel was forced to work
overtime on a regular basis while her white co-workers typically worked eight
hour days.

Hazell filed a Complaint with the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as required by law according to the Complaint. The EEOC did not provide a ruling on the matter as Hazell chose to proceed to Federal Court. Allegations in a Civil Complaint are not evidence of wrongdoing.

The City has not yet answered the allegations in the Complaint.