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Denver Jury Awards Nearly $15 Million In Racial Discrimination Case

DENVER (AP) - A federal jury has awarded nearly $15 million to 11 Denver-area warehouse workers who accused a trucking company of segregating workers by race, calling black people "stupid Africans" and punishing those who complained.

Attorney Lynn Feiger, who was among those representing the workers, told The Denver Post that Wednesday's verdict against Sacramento, California-based Matheson Trucking and Matheson Flight Extenders, Inc. included $13 million in punitive damages. The company transports mail for the U.S. Postal Service and private vendors, including UPS and Federal Express.

According to the lawsuit, black employees worked on one side of the Commerce City warehouse and whites worked on the other side. White supervisors and staff were accused of calling employees racial epithets and "lazy, stupid Africans."

A Matheson attorney said the company would appeal.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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