A Philadelphia contractor is suing a shipyard over allegations of racial discrimination.
Darrell Choates filed a lawsuit July 7 in U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania against Akers Philadelphia Shipyard and its employees.
According to the filing, the plaintiff, who is African-American, submitted a minority bid in 2013 for a construction job but the company awarded the $15 million contract to a white male instead. The filing states that the plaintiff was lied to, demeaned, treated unfairly and discouraged throughout the bid process.
The plaintiff is seeking a judgment in his favor for damages of $1 million plus back pay, court costs and attorney’s fees. He is represented by Blake Berenbaum of the Richman and Berenbaum Law Firm in Trevose.
U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania 2:15-cv-03755-WY.