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>>Announcer: THIS IS ABC 7
LOS ANGELES, NOW, ELLEN
LEYVA, DAVID ONO, JOHNNY
MOUNTAIN, AND ROB FUKUZAKI
AS "EYEWITNESS NEWS"
CONTINUES.
DAVID: THESE TWO MEN ARE
TAKING ONE OF THE NATION'S
LARGEST HOME IMPROVEMENT
STORES TO COURT.
THEY CLAIM THEY HAD RACIAL
HARASSMENT FROM COWORKERS
AND THEIR BOSSS DID NOTHING
TO STOP IT.
WELCOME BACK.
I AM DAVID ONO.
ELLEN: AND I AM ELLEN LAY
VA.
THEY SAY THEY WERE NOT THE
ONLY VICTIMS.
THEY WERE UNDER A CONSTANT
BARRAGE.
IT IS IN WOODEN HILLS.
CARLOS GRANDA THERE IS LIVE
WITH MORE.
CARLOS?
>>Reporter: WELL, ELLEN,
THEY SAY IT FELT LIKE THE
SOUTH IN THE '60s RACIAL
HARASSMENT BY SEVERAL EM
HOEEES HERE IN WOODLAND
HILLS.
THEY SAY, EVEN AFTER THEY
COMPLAINED, THEIR
SUPERVISORS DID NOTHING TO
STOP IT.
THEY SAY IT WAS RACIAL
HARASSMENT, THEY WERE NOT
ONLY ANGRY, BUT FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES,
THEY WERE SQUARED TO GO TO
WORK.
>> I SERVED MY COUNTRY IN A
FOREIGN LAND, AND EVEN IN
THAT FOREIGN LAND, I DIDN'T
EN COUNT ARE THE RACISM THAT
I ENCOUNTERED AT MY JOB.
>>Reporter: THEY SAY IT
HAPPENED EARLY LAST YEAR IN
WOODLAND HILLS.
CHRIS WAS WORKING THE NIGHT
SHIFT.
THERE WERE FEW PEOPLE IN THE
STORE.
HE WAS ON THE FORKLIFT WHEN
ALLEGEDLY TWO COWORKERS DID
SOMETHING THAT LEFT HIM
STUNNED.
>> TWO GUYS COMING OUT,
COMING OUT OF THE STORE,
THEY GOT THESE WHITE HOODS
OVER THEIR HEADS WITH THEIR
ICE CUT OUT, AUTOMATICALLY,
THAT IS THE KU KLUX ***.
I AM PROCEEDING DOWN THE
AISLEWAY, THEY POP OUT FROM
BEHIND ONE OF THE CORNERS
WITH THEIR HOODS ON.
YOU MOW?
YOU ARE KIND OF STUNNED.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACT
TO IT.
>>Reporter: THEY SAY THE
WORST PART IS THE SUPERVISOR
DIDN'T STOP IT.
ALLEGEDLY, HE LAUGHED.
SAID IT WAS ONLY A JOKE.
>> FOR ME BEING
AFRICAN-AMERICAN BLACK, I
CAN'T REFLECT AND LOOK AT
THAT AS A JOKE.
>>Reporter: THEY SAY, AFTER
THAT, HANG MAN NOOSES BEGAN
APPEARING IN THIS STORE.
THEY ARE SUING BECAUSE IT
WAS HOSTILE-WORKING
ENVIRONMENT.
>> IT HAPPEN, WE HOLD HOME
DEPOT RESPONSIBLE FOR
ALLOWING, CONDONING SUCH
CONDUCT.
>>Reporter: IN A STATEMENT,
THEY SAY HOME DEPOT HAS AS
ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR
DISCRIMINATION, THE MEN SAY
THEY MADE A FORMAL
COMPLAINT, BUT THE
SUPERVISOR STILL WORKS FOR
THE COMPANY IN A DIFFERENT
STORE.
>> GETTING A SLAP ON THE
WRIST AND SAYING THAT IS
OKAY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT,
DON'T DO IT AGAIN, TO ME, IS
NOT ENOUGH.
>>Reporter: NOW, IN A
LAWSUIT, ATTORNEYS CLAIM
THERE IS A PATTERN OF RACIAL
TREATMENT THAT STORE.
FOR MONTH, THEY TRIED TO
CONTACT HOME DEPOT, SO FAR,
THEY HAVE BEEN IGNORED.
REPORTING LIVE FROM WOODLAND
HILL, CARLOS GRANDA, ABC 7
"EYEWITNESS NEWS." DAVID,