A former employee has filed a lawsuit against his previous employer, alleging severe racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Gregory Adams lodged the complaint on June 4, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against Almatis, Inc., William Smith, and Hilary Baker.
Adams' allegations paint a troubling picture of his time at Almatis' Leetsdale facility. He claims that from his hiring in April 2019 until his departure, he was subjected to continuous racial slurs and threats from co-worker Angelo Greco. Despite multiple complaints to supervisors and HR, no effective action was taken to address the hostile environment. Adams recalls an incident in October 2020 involving a damaged hopper for which he was unfairly targeted. He underwent a humiliating drug test while white colleagues were not subjected to similar scrutiny. This marked the beginning of a series of discriminatory actions that included racially charged graffiti targeting him directly and continued verbal abuse from Greco.
Adams detailed several instances where he reported these issues to supervisors Drew Malagise and Ruben Anderson, as well as HR Manager Hilary Baker. However, despite their awareness and occasional apologies for not improving conditions, no substantial measures were taken to protect him or discipline Greco effectively. The final straw came when racist graffiti appeared on lockers used by Adams and another Black employee, Noah Campbell. Campbell's subsequent termination after reporting the graffiti only added to Adams' distress.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigated Adams' claims and found reasonable cause to believe that Almatis had indeed subjected him to a racially hostile work environment. The EEOC noted ongoing employment practices that tolerated racial slurs and discriminatory behavior towards Black employees.
In his lawsuit, Adams seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress caused by the persistent discrimination he faced at Almatis. He also demands punitive damages under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 of the U.S.C., along with attorneys’ fees and other related costs.
Representing Adams are attorneys Jonathan K. Cohn, Maureen Davidson-Welling, and Zachary K. Maddox from Stember Cohn & Davidson-Welling LLC. The case is being presided over by Judge Marilyn J. Horan under Case ID: 2:24-cv-00811-MJH.