DETROIT – A 47-year-old African-American woman says she is the victim of ongoing pervasive racism and discrimination by coworkers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, who have festooned the office space she shares with 10 other workers with monkeys.
Working as a clay modeler at Chrysler's Auburn Hills headquarters, Valarie Davis says it started in 2004 when coworkers would whistle at her with a monkey call device and being referred to as a "chicky monkey."
Davis is suing FCA, and court records detail the behavior from her coworkers that made her life miserable.
She says after she complained to management about her coworkers using a monkey call device, things only got worse.
Coworkers asked her when she was pregnant if black women produce chocolate breast milk, and was referred to as the "little brown friend."
She says the monkeys showed up in 2013. Primates hung from the ceiling, huge blow up monkeys showed up and stuffed animals were spread all over the various cubicles.
She complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and it gave her a letter to sue, which she did.
FCA makes it clear in in its company policies that it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form.