A former Exxon Chemicals Co. employee of American Indian descent has filed a $1 million federal lawsuit charging he was discriminated against and referred to as "Tonto" while working at the company's Clearfield plant.
Tracy Salazar, Ogden, says he was harassed and then wrongfully fired from his job at the Freeport Center in April based on his ethnic background, according to a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court. Salazar is not being represented by an attorney.The suit seeks $1 million, a letter of apology, a good job reference and reimbursement for his costs from his former employer.
Exxon manager Lyndie Henrie declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Salazar's shift manager, who allegedly admitted to referring to Salazar as "Tonto" in a conversation with a third employee, apologized to Henrie for the remark, according to a May 1, 1996, letter by Henrie included in the court file.
Salazar and his co-worker complained about the purported racial slur to Henrie, who called in the supervisor and questioned him. Salazar then accepted the supervisor's apology "and the matter was closed without documentation of a grievance," the letter said.
Salazar first filed a complaint with the Utah Anti-Discrimination Division in March. That was a month after he was suspended from work for three days for threatening a co-worker and given his final written warning of job performance by Henrie, according to court documents.
He waived his right to a UADD and federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation to file the lawsuit.
Copies of Exxon documents filed by Salazar said he was fired due to poor attendance, conflicts with co-workers and managers and mistakes made in labeling equipment. Salazar says those criticisms are untrue.