5 black prison officers nearer to getting $477,000 that state owes them in workplace bias case

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/black-prison-officers-nearer-to-getting-that-state-owes-them/article_2986ca9d-9b06-5e65-a3a5-c2112a953a48.html

POSTED: SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015 1:00 AM
By Joe Duggan / World-Herald Bureau

LINCOLN — Five African-American corrections officers who sued the state over workplace discrimination took a step Friday toward collecting nearly $500,000 owed them in a court settlement.

The Nebraska Legislature gave first-round approval to the annual state claims bill that also approves settlements with three members of the Beatrice Six who were wrongly convicted of murder.

The five officers who worked at the State Penitentiary in Lincoln said they endured routine racial jokes and taunts from co-workers who were not black. In a federal lawsuit, the black officers said they were given heavier workloads or were assigned to undesirable jobs when they formally complained about the harassment.

Last year, the state agreed to a $777,000 settlement. The officers — Aaron Delaney, Jaryl Ellis, Michael Hunter, Tiffany Johnson and Paul Zeiger — along with their attorneys collected $50,000 at the time of the settlement. Lawmakers approved the remaining $477,000.

FULL story at link.