Man sues Wal-Mart, alleges racial discrimination, retaliation
Lisbon, ME – January 23, 2013 – A man of Ethiopian descent who worked at Walmart in Lewiston for four years is suing his former employer, claiming the company discriminated against him because of his race and in retaliation for his complaint about discrimination and a workplace injury.
Wal-Mart denied a complaint made to the Maine Human Rights Commission.
Abdulaziz Omar filed a civil complaint last week in Androscoggin County Superior Court against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. In the complaint, he states that his supervisor, in 2009, treated him less favorably than workers who were not black. He started working at the company’s receiving location in Lewiston in 2006.
His supervisor had called Omar into his office and asked him where he was from. When Omar said he was Ethiopian, his supervisor said he didn’t feel comfortable having Omar around the desk. His supervisor also asked Omar whether he spoke English. Those actions made Omar “feel uncomfortable and targeted” because of his race, the complaint says.