AURORA, Colo. — Seven former employees of an Aurora manufacturer of building materials are suing the company for racial discrimination and retaliation after they say Woodgrain fired them for speaking out.
“I didn't have to say anything. I'm a manager but I had to stand up this time,” said former Woodgrain Manager Ron Lamb. “They hurt a lot of people, and a lot of people’s families, over a racial comment, but the guy is still there but we all got fired.”
In May, seven employees filed a lawsuit claiming they experienced racial discrimination from managers at Woodgrain in Aurora, which produces doors and other building materials.
Employees say things changed a year ago when the company, formerly Trimco, was purchased by Woodgrain and new management came in.
They say managers often talked about needing to “change the culture” and used a racist trope to describe employees.
“He walked over to us and said, ‘You guys look like three monkeys trying to have sex with the coconut,’” Corey Tate, a former Woodgrain employee said. “Then he doubled down on the comment by saying, ‘I don't know what else to call you.’”
Former employee Robert Simmons says a manager used racially charged language when Simmons suggested hiring a new employee who is Black.
“We were trying to get a third guy, and we thought he would be a good candidate. We brought it up to the supervisor. He said he did not want the Black Panther Party in his office. Two was already too much, three would be the Black Panther Party,” Simmons said.
In the lawsuit, former employees also claim management hired white employees with less experience and paid them more.
“They brought two Caucasian people in with no sales experience, no door experience, and hired them for a higher wage than what they were paying people in office," Simmons said.
In December 2024, employees created a petition describing the “second class treatment” from management, including the racist comments and hiring practices. According to the lawsuit, 21 primarily Black and Hispanic employees signed the petition and sent it to the human resources director at the Woodgrain facility in Aurora.
In January, the lawsuit claims Woodgrain then fired seven employees who signed the petition, who are all Black.
Denver7’s Jessica Porter reached out to Woodgrain in Aurora for their side of the story and they responded with the following statement:
The employees have filed a lawsuit seeking punitive damages, but Tate tells Denver7 it is about standing up for what is right.
“To bring some awareness to the situation in general, for the average worker, average employee, you have rights too,” Tate said.
Before seeking legal options, the former employees filed charges of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
