LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Water Company was back in court Friday after four men filed a joint lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation within the alleged hostile work environment.
Witnesses testified and displayed emails and text messages painting a picture of what one of the men had to endure when trying to move up within the company.
Josh Bridges claims he was given a new position but then the company retracted it. He initially filed a grievance right after. Years later, Bridges reapplied twice for the same position and did not get the job. He claims white co-workers with less experience got the promotion.
In the courtroom, attorneys questioned multiple witnesses about those qualifications.
"It's supposed to be the person with the most seniority," one person who still works at Louisville Water testified. "But that didn't happen with Josh Bridges."
Bridges' attorneys also questioned a manager about how he treats African-American employees who come to him with concerns.
"I would say no differently than any other employees," the manager said. "I try to treat people fairly. I feel like I'm on very good relations with most employees at Louisville Water."
Bridges' attorney shared a text message being used as evidence which said human resources put his name on a record they sent out which led to someone offering him the job.
Asking specific questions to witnesses, however, seemed to be difficult as anything that could seem misleading ended with multiple private conversations with the judge.
But as the trial continued, Bridges' attorneys questioned another employee about a video that was shared at work.
"I would say 30-40% of our supervisors who were sitting there were kind of looking at each other, and I mean it was just uncomfortable," they said, adding that the video seemed like it would be very offensive to her Black peers.
WHAS11 reached out to the Louisville Water Company about the lawsuits.
A spokesperson responded with a statement sent on Tuesday.
"Louisville Water is committed to an environment where every employee feels valued and respected. We value our employees just as much as we value the community we serve. We value our employees just as much as we value the community we serve," the company said. "We respect the judicial process and respect that employees have the right to participate. We will provide the facts that support our story. At Louisville Water, there is no place for racism, sexism, hate or discrimination. We are committed to being champions for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging."
Attorneys continued to question witnesses about work complaints, how other managers treated Bridges, and the workplace environment as a whole.
By the end of the Friday, Bridges' attorneys' rested their case and the LWC's attorneys plan to plead their case on Monday morning. The judge expects for closing arguments and jury deliberations on Tuesday.
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