A federal judge in Alabama has awarded nearly $1 million to a Black millwright who says he was fired for speaking out after a co-worker called him the N-word. The judgment, handed down last month by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bradley Murray, totaled $978,075, more than $338,000 above the jury’s initial award in May.
The case centers on Quentin Watts, 44, who began working for J & L Industrial Services in May 2022 on a project at a Georgia-Pacific plant in Cedar Springs, Georgia. Just five days into the job, Watts alleged he overheard co-worker Robert Macks say, “I see J & L hired this ni—er up in here,” directed at him as the only Black worker on the crew. Three white co-workers heard the slur and backed Watts in reporting it to supervisors and HR.
Watts was told Macks would be fired, but when he showed up on Monday, Macks was still there. Watts and two of his white co-workers took their complaints to J & L’s Alabama headquarters. According to the lawsuit, those two employees were fired.
The company admitted Macks used the N-word but argued it was said in another context, claiming he referred to “ni—er-rigging” his welding shield. J & L suspended him for three days but did not terminate him. Watts said this weak punishment prompted him to keep pressing the issue, but instead of action against Macks, the company reassigned him.
Removed from his millwright role, Watts was sent to J & L’s Monroeville transportation shop, where he lost out on per diem, overtime, and extra pay. He asked repeatedly to return to field work but was denied. Macks, meanwhile, continued working as a millwright on other projects.
In February 2023, Watts was laid off, officially for “reduction of force” and “job task complete.” He argued those reasons were false, pointing out that the company was still hiring millwrights at the time. His performance records even marked him as a “good” employee eligible for rehire.
After filing a lawsuit seen by Atlanta Blackstar, Watts presented his case in a two-day trial in May. An all-white, eight-member jury unanimously sided with him, awarding $639,240 in damages, including lost wages, emotional distress, and punitive damages. Judge Murray later boosted the award by more than $338,000, adding back pay and front pay, for a total of nearly $1 million.
Watts’ attorneys hailed the ruling as a landmark win. “This sends a strong message that intentional discrimination is not going to be tolerated, and retaliation is in some ways worse as it punishes employees who bring bad acts to light,” said his lawyer, Teresa Mastando.
Co-counsel Eric Artrip admitted he was surprised by the outcome, given the conservative jury pool in southern Alabama, but said Watts’ testimony was compelling. “The jury found our client’s version credible,” he said.
Watts, who now drives a peanut truck after suffering an injury on another job, is “very happy” with the verdict. Artrip added, “One of my takeaways is that people are perhaps getting a little less complacent about overt racism and retaliation.”
For Watts, what began as a humiliating ordeal ended with vindication and a hefty payout, proof that sometimes the last laugh is also the loudest.
