Maine-based Med Co. sued federally for alleged abhorrent racism

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

In an article published by the Kennebec Journal, Dupreme Ammonds, a former employee at the Hartland, Maine, facility, claims that medical swab factory managers failed to properly respond to complaints he made to them. attention regarding allegations of racial harassment.

Ammonds also claims he was subject to multiple violations of his civil rights during his 14-month tenure with the company. Ammonds, who identifies as Black/Hispanic, filed a lawsuit alleging that his co-workers would use racial slurs against him and also make stereotypical jokes as well as threatening comments.

Part of the lawsuit, obtained by the Kennebec Journal, reads in part:

“This campaign of discrimination and harassment was constant and ongoing. Coworkers and supervisor participated in the hostility. The harassment included several instances of white co-workers calling Mr. Ammonds the full “N-word” or deliberately using it in front of him.

“With the exception of Willie Ashe – who had also physically assaulted Mr. Ammonds – Puritan did not discipline employees who 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 improving the community. He hopes that by pursuing justice in court, he can help make his community a safer and more welcoming place. (This harassment) comes from a pervasive attitude of white supremacy that people of color face in Maine and across the country. By filing this lawsuit, Dupreme directly challenges this 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 matters, we deny that we have violated the law and look forward to defending ourselves in court.” Puritan does not tolerate inappropriate workplace behavior and we remain fully committed to providing a suitable workplace for everyone.

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