The $225 million lawsuit that a former NASCAR inspector filed against the stock-car racing organization has been settled.
The suit, which was filed in June, was reportedly settled at a mediation Dec. 3 in New York City.
As part of the agreement to settle the suit, which was filed by Mauricia Grant, terms of the settlement were not made public. Neither Grant nor NASCAR admitted liability or wrongdoing in the settlement.
“We’re glad to have the case settled on mutually acceptable terms,” NASCAR managing director of corporate communications Ramsey Poston said in a statement. “NASCAR remains dedicated to maintaining a professional work environment for all employees at all times and we wish Ms. Grant well in her future endeavors.”
Neither Grant nor her attorneys had issued a reaction to the settlement by Thursday evening.
Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR’s second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until her October 2007 termination. In the lawsuit filed in June in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Grant alleged 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination during her employment.
In NASCAR’s response to the suit, the sanctioning body claimed Grant acknowledged an understanding of NASCAR’s “zero tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment in the workplace,” attended mandatory training seminars on the topics in 2006 and 2007 and acknowledged her obligation to immediately report any offensive acts in accordance with written policies.
Grant claimed she ultimately was fired for that complaint to Balash. But in NASCAR’s response, it claims Grant was reprimanded with a warning of termination for an altercation with a track security guard at Michigan International Speedway who had asked to see Grant’s credentials as she passed through a gate.
Grant alleged in the lawsuit that she was referred to as “Nappy Headed Mo” and “Queen Sheba,” by co-workers, was often told she worked on “colored people time” and was frightened by one official who routinely made references to the Ku Klux Klan.
Shortly after the lawsuit was issued, NASCAR Chairman Brian France said: “I can tell you not to jump to conclusions about what the lawsuit attempts to say.’‘
NASCAR did suspend two series officials a few days after the lawsuit became public.
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