Bay Bridge worker sues over hangman’s noose, rope incidents

Views of the new Bay Bridge span seen from the construction zone at Treasure Island in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, September 23, 2015. Caltrans will soon change contractors to maintain and fix the new span of the Bay Bridge. less Views of the new Bay Bridge span seen from the construction zone at Treasure Island in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, September 23, 2015. Caltrans will soon change contractors to maintain and fix the new ... more Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Bay Bridge worker sues over hangman’s noose, rope incidents 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

An African American iron worker for a Bay Bridge contractor says his foreman dropped a hangman’s noose next to him and a short time later a co-worker threw him a rope and told him to put it around his neck — and when he complained about racism, his work hours were reduced.

James H. Brown of Hayward made the allegations in a discrimination suit against his former employer, Adams & Smith, that was filed in Alameda County Superior Court on Jan. 18 and announced by his lawyers this week after it was served on the company. Brown seeks damages for lost wages, punitive damages and court orders requiring Adams & Smith to improve employee training.

“It is shocking and disturbing that more than 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, African American employees are threatened with nooses in the workplace while their employer, Adams & Smith, sits idly by,” said Brown’s attorney, Bryan McCormack.

There was no immediate comment from Adams & Smith, a nationwide construction contractor.

Brown said Adams & Smith hired him as an iron worker in late August but assigned him and another African American to mostly menial tasks, such as sweeping and picking up garbage, even though Brown is a certified welder.

On Sept. 25, the suit said, Brown was doing rigging work near the toll plaza when his foreman, a white man, dropped a noose next to him. About 20 minutes later, he said, a white co-worker tossed him a rope and told him to put it around his neck. Later that day, he said, the foreman placed a rope on the car of the other African American worker at the site.

Brown said he complained to his shop steward about both incidents, and spoke several days later to a company steward, who told him he was aware of what had happened and would take care of it. But Adams & Smith took no action against Brown’s foreman or the white co-worker, and instead reduced Brown’s daily work hours, the suit said.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the company sent Brown home after a half day and told him it had no more work for him that week, the suit said. It said Brown learned that his white co-workers remained at their jobs for the week.

Brown, who needed full-time work, lined up another job through his union and now works for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in Stockton, his lawyer said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko