Staff Reports
Two Pinellas County men have filed a lawsuit against their former employer after claiming they endured assault, harassment and racism.
Brandon Bailey, 31, of Palm Harbor and Christopher Walker, 45, of St. Petersburg are seeking monetary damages of more than $30,000 from Dynamet Inc., Carpenter Technology Corp. and James Belcher.
On March 18, William Julien and Peter Ulanowicz filed the lawsuit on behalf of Bailey and Walker.
The monetary amount Bailey and Walker seek does not include attorney fees and court costs. The suit seeks damages for infliction of emotional distress, common law battery, civil assault, civil conspiracy, negligent supervision and retention, racial harassment and discrimination and retaliation.
In September 2016, Dynamet hired Bailey and Walker, who are Black, according to the lawsuit. The men claim they suffered assaults, racial epithets and harassment from Belcher and other employees of the manufacturing company.
The 63-page lawsuit cites 136 examples of discrimination Bailey and Walker say they faced. The allegations include Belcher and employees throwing a banana at Bailey while he worked inside a safety cage, throwing scissors at Bailey, telling Bailey to cut his hair, hitting Bailey in his shin with a 10-foot coil and threatening to hang the men.
The suit also claims Dynamet employees used several derogatory terms against Bailey and Walker. It says Bailey was told to use back doors at the company.
Both Bailey and Walker claim they were fired for reporting the alleged discrimination and harassment.
It’s unclear whether Dynamet still employs Belcher, who served as Bailey and Walker’s supervisor.
Dynamet has a Clearwater facility and calls itself “a leading domestic and international supplier of titanium alloy products for the aerospace, medical, consumer, motorsports and recreation industries. Forms include bar, wire, fine wire, shapes and strip.”
Dynamite is a subsidiary of Philadelphia-based Carpenter Technology Corp.
