Maine-Based Medical Company Being Federally Sued For Alleged ‘Heinous Racism’

A former employee of the Maine-based medical products company, Puritan, has filed a federal lawsuit against the company claiming he was the victim of 'heinous racism'.

In an article published by the Kennebec Journal, former employee of the Hartland, Maine facility, Dupreme Ammonds, says that managers at the medical swab plant failed to properly address complaints that he had brought to their attention regarding alleged racial harassment.

Ammonds also claims he was the subject of multiple civil rights violations during his 14-month tenure with the company. Ammonds, who is identified as black/Hispanic, filed the lawsuit alleging coworkers would use racist slurs against him and also make stereotype-style jokes along with threatening comments.

A portion of the lawsuit, obtained by the Kennebec Journal, reads in part,

“This campaign of discrimination and harassment was constant and ongoing. Co-workers and supervisor alike participated in the hostility. The harassment included multiple instances of white co-workers calling Mr. Ammonds the full ‘N-word’ or purposefully using it in front of him.”

“With the exception of Willie Ashe – who had also physically assaulted Mr. Ammonds – Puritan did not discipline the employees who had harassed and discriminated against Mr. Ammonds,” the lawsuit states. “None of them were reassigned – only Mr. Ammonds was.”

“Dupreme has a strong sense of justice and a commitment to bettering community. He hopes that by pursuing justice through the courts, he can help to make his community a safer and more welcoming place. (This harassment) comes from a pervasive attitude of white supremacy that people of color face across Maine and the country. By filing this lawsuit, Dupreme is directly challenging that dynamic.”

Puritan Medical Products, based in Hartland, Maine, responded to the allegations in a short written statement saying in part,

“While Puritan does not comment on pending cases, we deny violating the law and we look forward to defending ourselves before the court. Puritan does not tolerate inappropriate conduct in the workplace, and we remain fully committed to providing an appropriate workplace for all.”

This is a developing lawsuit and we will keep this article updated as more information becomes available to us.