Scott Matusick Claims Interracial Dating Led to Termination from Erie County (NY) Water Authority

Scott Matusick files discrimination lawsuit against Erie County, NY, Water Authority, saying he was terminated due to interracial relationship with black woman.

Scott Matusick has accused the Erie County (NY) Water Authority of discrimination in a federal lawsuit. He was fired in April 2006 and claims the firing was in retaliation for his interracial relationship with Anita Sparks, a black woman, according to the Buffalo News. Matusick, who began working at the Water Authority in 1993, said he never experienced any problems with his coworkers or supervisors until 2004, when he started dating Sparks, who he later married.

After his co-workers knew about the relationship, he was subjected to crude racist remarks and harassment from more than a dozen co-workers for two years, according to Matusick. He said some frequently used the "n-word" in his presence, and he claims his complaints to superiors went nowhere.

Matusick was fired in April 2006, and he claims in a federal lawsuit that the firing was in retaliation for his interracial relationship with Starks, whom he since has married. His lawsuit seeks to paint a disturbing picture of a government agency that has responsibility for a vital community service — providing water to more than 550,000 area homes, businesses and other customers. The Water Authority's response is that Matusick is lying and that none of his allegations should be believed.

"The allegations by Mr. Matusick are a desperate attempt by a disgruntled former employee to extract money from the [Water Authority]," the agency said in a written statement to The Buffalo News. "This matter is currently in litigation, so we cannot respond to each specific allegation, other than to say they are baseless and without merit." Source: Buffalo News

It will be very interesting to see how this is played out in court. It should be noted that Mr. Matusick has a less than stellar track record at the Water Authority, which makes his assertions questionable. According to the Buffalo News, he admitted in court papers that, on occasion, he slept on the job, which led to his termination, and also admitted that he was one of the dispatchers who used the black box to block the camera's view. He was also fired for failing to properly respond to two emergency calls from citizens, according to the Buffalo News.

Read more: Worker Claims Interracial Dating Led to Firing | Buffalo News