Civil Rights Department Secures Settlement Over Alleged Racial Harassment at Regional Railway Company Headquarters in Sacramento

SACRAMENTO – The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) today announced a settlement with Siemens Mobility over alleged racial discrimination at their regional headquarters in Sacramento. A subsidiary of Siemens based in Germany, Siemens Mobility specializes in railway manufacturing and serves transit agencies across the United States and Canada. As part of the settlement, the company will compensate an individual complainant and implement reforms aimed at protecting the civil rights of any future employees at the company’s Sacramento facility.

“There is no place for derogatory slurs in the workplace,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “It’s in every company’s interest to stop harassment in its tracks. Through this voluntary settlement, Siemens Mobility is doing the right thing to help protect workers in our state.”

Employee Speaks Out Over Alleged Racial Harassment

In 2023, CRD received an individual complaint of discrimination and harassment in the workplace from an employee at Siemens Mobility in Sacramento. According to the complaint, the employee was subjected to a hostile work environment where multiple co-workers over a period of several months would daily use derogatory terms either associated with Black people or Latinos. While the company allegedly took disciplinary action against the workers who engaged in the harassment, the complainant claimed that they were ultimately suspended and escorted out by security in retaliation for making the report.

Complaint Leads to Settlement

After conducting an initial investigation, CRD provided Siemens Mobility and the employee an opportunity to resolve the allegations voluntarily through mediation. As a result of the settlement, the company, without admitting liability, will:

• Hire a consultant to assess the equal employment practices at the Sacramento facility and make recommendations to the company.
• As part of the assessment, have the consultant review instances of racial harassment, policies for investigating and handling related claims, and the efficacy of workplace training.
• Based on the assessment, amend its policies to incorporate the recommendations and any additional recommendations provided by CRD.
• Submit reports to CRD on complaints of racial discrimination.
• Pay the worker to compensate for the alleged harms.

If you or someone you know has experienced employment discrimination, CRD may be able to assist you through its complaint process. The department also provides general information and factsheets online about civil rights protections, including with respect to discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

The settlement announced today was secured by Staff Counsel Miriam Rofael and Assistant Chief Counsel Asaf Orr. It was mediated by Senior Mediator Andrea Fernandez-Jackson.

A copy of the settlement is available here.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.

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