France speaks on former official's $225 mil. lawsuit

CONCORD, N.C. -- Brian France, chairman and CEO of NASCAR, said Wednesday that a former employee who has filed a lawsuit against the organization did not follow clear-cut company guidelines that should have resolved any complaints she had about her co-workers.

Mauricia Grant, who is black, filed a $225 million lawsuit against NASCAR on June 10, alleging racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. She was employed by NASCAR as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in the Nationwide Series from January 2005 through October 2007, when NASCAR terminated her employment, citing poor work performance (read more).

Speaking very briefly about the matter after an unrelated news conference to announce the partnership between Boston Ventures and Petty Enterprises at Lowe's Motor Speedway, France said that Grant had avenues to vent her complaints within the NASCAR organization.

"She didn't do that, and that's what every employee in NASCAR is instructed to do if they think they're in a situation of discrimination or harassment or whatever it might be," France said. "She just didn't do that -- and in fact has now filed a lawsuit as remedy to this problem. You know, we'll deal with that as well. And that's where we are at this time."

France said he did not see the lawsuit coming. "I knew about it this week when the suit was filed," France said.

France added that because Grant did not follow company policy about filing complaints, it was difficult for her superiors to know if she was upset about anything, and to weigh the validity of the accusations she eventually set forth in the lawsuit.

"Again, our policy is such that it's very clear," France said. "We talk to employees all the time about making sure the work environment is a good one. And if it's not, if there are any problems, that they have a very clear path to get it solved. This is just inconsistent with anything we would tolerate in NASCAR. Anything."

In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Grant lists 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination, beginning with her hiring by NASCAR in January 2005 through her termination.

Grant also alleged she repeatedly attempted to communicate to her superiors about many of the incidents and her subsequent concerns, only to be rebuffed each time.