Professional Transit Management, a Colorado Springs, Colo., company that operates under the name Springs Transit, settled a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit for $450,000. The settlement, announced by the EEOC May 17, will be divided among six employees who alleged a racially hostile work environment.

According to the EEOC, the harassment included supervisors using ethnic slurs for African-American, Hispanic and Asian employees. The commission also cited comments from a non-supervisory employee that it should not be against the law to shoot Mexicans, African-Americans and Chinese people. The worker allegedly said, “If I had my way, I'd gas [African American employees] like Hitler did the Jews.”

“The egregiousness of the threats and racial and national origin harassment in this case is stunning,” said Nancy Weeks, supervisory trial attorney in the EEOC's Denver Field Office. “We are pleased that the minority employees at Springs Transit have been compensated in some way for the terrible treatment they endured.”

In addition to the monetary relief, the settlement requires Springs Transit to implement an equal employment opportunity training program for all employees.

In February, the EEOC signaled its intention to crack down on race discrimination in the workplace by announcing the E-RACE Initiative (Eradicating Racism and Colorism from Employment), an education and enforcement campaign.

“Race discrimination at work has been illegal in this country for over 40 years,” said EEOC Phoenix District Director Chester Bailey. “Employees should know that they can file charges with the EEOC because of job discrimination.”