(FOX) - A former Detroit Tigers clubhouse attendant filed a lawsuit against the club and former pitching coach Chris Bosio Thursday, claiming that “a culture of racism was tolerated by the upper echelons of management, as African American employees were treated differently than their similarly-situated white counterparts."
The complaint was filed more than a year after Bosio was fired from the Tigers following an investigation into his use of a racial slur towards the attendant, 22-year-old Derrell Coleman II.
Coleman, who is black, says the club initially asked Bosio, 56, to apologize and only took further action toward the pitching coach when his use of the slur went public, according to the complaint.
Bosio claims he was not using the word in a racial or disparaging context and it wasn't directed toward Coleman. At the time of his firing, Bosio told USA TODAY he felt "crushed" and was "in shock." He claimed to be referring to Daniel Stumpf, a white pitcher.
“Someone in our coaches’ room asked me about Stumpf,’’ Bosio told the outlet. “And I said, Oh, you mean, 'Spider Monkey.' That’s his nickname. He’s a skinny little white kid who makes all of these funny faces when he works out.
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