Going to work is already stressful under normal circumstances, but if the environment is consistently hostile, it can be unbearable.

Sacramento, California, resident Teshawn Solomon detailed in a lawsuit filed Monday, June 11, the racial harassment and discrimination he faced while working at Vivint Solar, reports The Washington Post.

The 36-year-old alleged he was called the N-word and harassed by white higher-ups and fellow employees in 2017. In one instance, a supervisor told Solomon to hold his hands out to receive an item. So, he did.

“Monkeys like bananas,” the supervisor said while offering Solomon the fruit.

It was one of many racialized pranks. Things escalated when a group of his white co-workers used cardboard boxes to create a fort around their workspaces. Then, they spray-painted the words "white only" and “Inspections Department” in bold letters.

Solomon's attorney, Corey Bennett, said several photos of the fort were taken by a former employee who left the company for bringing up issues of racial harassment, as well.

“I was terrified,” Solomon said. “The only other African American employee was usually at other warehouses, so I was alone, at night, looking over my shoulder, wondering what else could happen to me.”

The lawsuit claims Vivint Solar did nothing to address the multiple racial incidents.

“All I wanted was respect and the dignity of providing for my family,” he added.

Solomon endured the extreme harassment in hopes of earning a promotion to provide better for his family, but he couldn't take it any longer. He resigned in March of this year.

“Management did nothing after I complained,” Solomon said. “They didn’t hold anyone accountable. People continued joking about the fort for weeks because they knew management didn’t care about racism.”

Vivint Solar, headquartered in Utah, employs an estimated 4,000 people across the country. They have responded to the lawsuit in a statement to The Post.

“We typically have a policy of not commenting on specific personnel matters or pending litigation,” Vivint said in the statement. “However, in this case, we wish to extend a sincere apology to Mr. Solomon for the deeply concerning and understandably upsetting situation he endured.”

“Mr. Solomon’s experience was an isolated one, and it has been addressed by our HR team to ensure something like this never happens again,” the statement continued. “Mr. Solomon’s experience simply does not reflect the values or culture of Vivint Solar and stands in direct contradiction to our core values as a company.”

White Only Fort

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week