Nova Scotia Leon’s employee files complaint after black statue lynched

A black employee of Leon’s Furniture in Nova Scotia has filed a human rights complaint after he says he was the target of racism from co-workers and managers, including coming to work to find a black statue hung in effigy.

Elsworth Bottomley alleges he was mistreated by co-workers at the furniture store in Darthmouth, N.S., who used the N-word and made openly racist remarks about the intelligence of black people.

CBC News reports Bottomley, quit his job of two years after arriving at work to find the statue hanging in the store window.

Bottomley said another employee frequently taunted him and a manager has refused to sent him out with another black mover out of concerns they would scare the customers.

Leon's has said that two people have been fired over the incident and the remaining staff will receive sensitivity training.

[ Related: Black statue allegedly lynched in effigy at Leon’s store ]

Bottomley, meantime, has filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. But this is not the first time allegations of racism and discrimination have been raised against the store. The same location is facing a human rights complaint over the way a black employee was treated.

Garnetta Cromwell alleges that her white manager made "racially charged comments and innuendoes" and alleges she was unfairly disciplined while working at the store. Leon's denies that Cromwell was treated unfairly and says they addressed inappropriate comments as they arose. That complaint is being heard this week.

The two cases may not be related, but they certainly paint a dismal portrait. On top of that is a recent report suggesting it is not just black retails employees being mistreated in the province.

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission recently released a report that found customers who are black or aboriginal are treated especially poorly while shopping in the province.

The study is based on interviews with 1,219 Nova Scotia residents held late last year. It found that racial profiling is prevalent in interactions with retail staff and security personnel in the province.

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Minority shoppers are said to be more frequently ignored, refused service, verbally abused and physically removed from stores without just cause.

"Consumer racial profiling appears to be more about stereotyping than the expression of overt racism," the report concludes.

"However, stereotyping continues to be a form of racism; just because the intent is not there does not mean stereotyping is not racism. All members of society need to work each day to break down the barriers of racism and discrimination, and the stereotypes that are pervasive in our society."

The systematic mistreatment of customers who are black, or of any other minority background, may not be considered to be overt racism.

But the lynching of a black statue sure appears to be.

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