In a prank which turned out to be racial harassment, the Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) workers pasted a “Kick me” sign on the back of a co-employee and then kicked him leaving him confused and embarrassed. The workers burst into laughter over the incident, according to a federal lawsuit.
Intel prank victim
Harvey Palacio, the victim and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) employee filed a complaint in Albuquerque that when he assumed that there was something pasted on his back in the August prank, he went to Randy Lehman, senior officer to confirm that if there was something.
“Lehman said turn around and as Palacio did he saw and heard (another employee) yell out “don’t read it, just do it’,” the lawsuit said. According to the documents produced in the court, Palacio was kicked three times by Lehman. As per the lawsuit, the other employee, Chris Zeltinger exchanged christmas gift with Palacio and also kicked him three times while Palacio was seeking his help to remove the sign.
The lawsuit further says that Palacio wanted this to end and asked for help from someone in the group to remove the sign. Palacio became so embarrassed and demoralized that he started crying while going home. He kept this incident hidden from his wife because he was humiliated and ashamed.
Palacio also told that the co-workers used to conceal his work uniform and stuff the uniform bag with the waste. Palacio said that he went through this abuse for months, and the abuse was racially motivated because he is Filipino.
The amount for damage and attorney’s fees is not specified in the lawsuit. Both the Intel employees, Lehman and Zeltinger, were charged with misbehavior and were ordered to perform 16 hours of community service. Both of them lost their jobs at Intel following the prank.
The chip maker said that it is going through the lawsuit and did not comment any further on the matter. There was no response from Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) and Diego Esquibel who is Lehman’s attorney.
In another lawsuit earlier, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) was sued by the Lehman Brothers holdings for violating the swap agreement worth $1 billion. The bankrupt investment bank said that as per the agreement, Intel gave $1 billion to Lehman’s over the counter derivative units. In exchange, Intel took 50 million of Lehman shares, which was to be delivered on September 29, 2008, according the lawsuit filed in the US Bankruptcy Court, in Manhattan.
