Mauricia Grant lawsuit against NASCAR will remain in New York
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Saturday, November 01, 2008
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The Mauricia Grant sexual and racial discrimination and harassment lawsuit will remain in New York. NASCAR had requested to move the case to either North Carolina or Florida.
U.S. District Court Judge Deborah A. Batts ruled that because NASCAR has a marketing office in New York City, federal court in Manhattan is an appropriate venue for the case. Batts also cited the facts that Grant worked races at Watkins Glen, alleges discriminatory practices occurred while in New York and was allegedly disciplined and demoted while working in the state of New York.
“Courts are not required to determine the ‘best venue’ but merely a logical one with a substantial connection to the litigation,” Batts wrote.
Grant, who worked for the NASCAR Busch Series from 2005 through much of 2007, alleges in a $225 million lawsuit that she was fired two months after airing complaints of race and gender discrimination and harassment by series officials, including series director Joe Balash. The African-American woman details more than 50 instances of alleged racial and sexual harassment.
In its response to the suit, NASCAR alleges that Grant coined some of the terms she deemed offensive and that she was fired for cause. NASCAR alleges that Grant did not follow the sanctioning body’s procedures for addressing employee concerns.
The sides expect a trial to last two weeks but no trial date has been set.
