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Motor Vehicle Assurance CEO Daniel Rodd “dressed up as the syphilitic failed artist and leader of the Third Reich for Halloween one year and gave ‘Heil Hitler’ salute," sales representative Kevin Marshall of Seaside Heights, alleges in a lawsuit filed in Ocean County Superior Court on Monday.
"In fact, Defendant Rodd was so proud of his racist costume that he posed for photographs, at least one of which was shared on social media with Defendant MVA employees, including Plaintiff."
In one photo, Rodd -- dressed as Hitler -- held a sign saying “Ima vote for Hillary." Rodd dressed as Donald Trump the following year, and was photographed sitting on top of a racist caricature of a Mexican person, according to the suit which includes photos.
The suit was filed against MVA, Rodd and several other company partners. A company lawyer and Rodd told the New York Post that MVA intends on "vehemently" fighting the "baseless allegations."
Marshall, who started with the company in 2017, said he was forced to quit in August 2018 after being retaliated against for his complaints about discrimination, unequal pay, money the company owed him for a radio commercial and widespread drug use at the workplace, the court documents say.
"Plaintiff is one of the many African American employees forced to endure outright bigotry while employed at Defendant MVA," the suit says.
"Indeed, Plaintiff endured an intolerably hostile work environment, where his Caucasian managers casually referred to black employees as [The N-words].
Plaintiff watched as he and other African Americans were passed over for promotion, denied equal pay, and segregated into a room known as the “Black Room,” which the Caucasian management derisively referred to as to the '[N-word] Center.'"
Last month, two other former black employees filed suit, claiming MVA was riddled with racism and drug use.
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