Tahvio Gratton, a former UPS driver in the state of Washington, has been awarded $237.6 million after prevailing in a racial discrimination lawsuit. A jury concluded that Gratton indeed faced discrimination at work and then got fired after filing his complaint. Gratton, who is Black, received $198 million in punitive damages, along with $39.6 million for emotional distress, The Columbian reported.
In 2021, Gratton was fired from UPS’ Yakima, Washington location. He transferred to Yakima from another location in 2016. In his lawsuit , Gratton says his on-road supervisor treated him differently than his white colleagues. He also claimed that part-time drivers were given priority over him despite his full-time status. Furthermore, a union agreement states that full-time drivers must receive preferential routes over part-timers.
In addition, the manager repeatedly called Gratton “boy” while riding with him in 2018.
“Move faster, Boy, let’s go! Boy, I told you to hurry!” the manager said, per the lawsuit.