Portland, OR

Portland, OR: (May-01-07) Lisa Washington and Roxie Granville, both African American, code enforcement officers filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the City of Portland, claiming that they were chastised for spending too much time together. The lawsuit dated to a 1997 incident in which a co-worker spotted them walking together during a break. A supervisor told the women that they were being seen together too much and cited bureau policy against such fraternization. The suit claimed that no such policy existed at that time. A policy requiring all employees to notify a supervisor when they go into the field was drafted in 2001, but the women say it was enforced only against them. In a settlement reached, Portland City Council members agreed to pay $470,000 to settle the racial discrimination charges. As part of the agreement, Granville will receive $300,000 and will leave city government. Washington will get $170,000 and will stay in the bureau. [OREGON LIVE: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION]

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Published on May-3-07