Rosemont Man Sues County on Discrimination Charges

A Rosemont man says the racial discrimination and harassment he faced at work was so serious, it forced him onto mental sick leave.

Michael Dawson, a Sacramento County Department of Transportation supervisor, is suing his employer and a co-worker, according to the Sacramento Bee and county court records.

Dawson said in court filings that the co-worker digitally added Dawson's face to photos of Tiger Woods, puppies he was giving away and a page from an Avon catalog.

The co-worker being sued, Scott Kelley, also removed a photo of Dawson's son in Air Force fatigues and replaced it with an altered photo featuring a white co-worker in uniform next to Dawson's son, the lawsuit alleges.

Dawson was "forced to go on medical disability leave due to the racially hostile work environment," his court filings from 2011 state.

A county spokeswoman declined to comment to the Bee, citing the pending litigation.

Sacramento County and Kelley deny the allegations in their responses.

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