A south-Alabama business is being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which alleges racist hiring practices, sexual harassment and retaliation.
Randy Englebert, owner of Climatemp Cooling and Heating Inc., has been accused of routinely calling women, “stupid dumb blondes,” “bitch” and telling them they are “not smart enough” to do certain jobs because they are women.
Robert DeFrancesco, a former employee named in the complaint, alleged that Englebert refused to hire African American employees and consistently used racially derogatory terms to describe those who had applied.
All of the allegations are “hearsay,” Englebert told AL.com. He said the complaints “come from the mouths of disgruntled employees.” Beatrice “Diane” Taylor, another former employee of the company, reported that she was fired shortly after Englebert saw photos of her bi-racial grandchildren. Taylor had been reluctant to show him the photos because of his past of making racist statements before, but he insisted.
“We don’t need their kind here,” Englebert allegedly said, and followed by saying that her grandchildren would have to use separate restrooms, according to documents. Englebert denied the accusations, linked the firing to lack of computer skills on Taylor’s part and said he was not aware of the bi-racial children until after Taylor was dismissed.
The complaint outlines a series of events in which Englebert allegedly instructed employees to make a note of race on all applications, including some instructions to label them with racial epithets. At one point, the documents state, Englebert said “I sh-t you not,” in response to someone saying he sounded racist.
DeFrancesco eventually confronted Englebert about treating women “like dogs” and not hiring a qualified African American man. DeFrancesco was fired in retaliation, according to the court documents, but Englebert said no such conversation took place. Englebert told AL.com he fired DeFrancesco for an alleged “knock-down, drag-out shouting match” at a customer’s home in Saraland.
“When we have qualified applicants, we hire them,” Englebert said. When asked whether he hired any minority employees, he said, “I got one of them out there now.”
Marsha Lynn Rucker, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Birmingham District, said the business has been promoting abusive and discriminatory language against women and African Americans. The agency files around 200 lawsuits a year out of its 15 district offices.
“Employees should not have to tolerate such harassment or hide their relationship with their family members in order to keep their jobs,” Rucker said in a release from the agency.
At the time of the interview, Englebert was unaware the suit had been filed against Climatemp. He said “they have no proof.”
“I would love to have a black individual,” he said. “Send them here, I’ll hire them.”