Clark County Public Works property pictured outside on May, 11, 2023. The department is currently at the center of a hostile workplace lawsuit involving racist comments against Latino employees.
Troy Brynelson / OPB
Years-long allegations of a hostile work environment and retaliation in the Clark County public works department against three Latino employees ended with a settlement earlier this month.
In the Aug. 14 settlement, Clark County agreed to pay approximately $2.2 million to resolve claims from Ray Alanis, Elias Peña and Isaiah Hutson, all of whom are employed in the county’s public works department.
The three men have been on administrative leave from their jobs since mid-2024. The settlement states that they cannot work with Clark County after their employment officially ends on Aug. 31.
The latest settlement brings the county’s total payment to more than $4 million over incidents including racist remarks, physical threats and workplace double standards that the employees began reporting in 2016.
Alanis, Peña and Hutson worked on a road repair crew with the county’s public works department. They raised concerns with the county human resources department over racist and derogatory comments from co-workers and supervisors that occurred on an “almost weekly basis.”
In 2023, a jury in federal court sided with the three men after determining that Clark County ignored reports of a hostile work environment. They were awarded an initial judgment of $600,000 in June 2023. Later that year, a judge awarded the group an additional $1.3 million in attorneys’ fees.
After winning the jury trial, the men returned to work for about a year. Instead of accountability, Hutson said, they faced increased hostility and retaliation.
“Along the whole way they just defended the actions of racist employees and ultimately a human resources department that refused to do anything to change that environment,” Hutson said.
The three men were then put on administrative leave pending an investigation by the county.
The new $2.2 million settlement covers lost wages, damages and attorney’s fees. Officials with Clark County declined an interview request. In a statement, Clark County Communications Manager Joni McAnally said the settlement reflected a mutually agreed-upon resolution.
“These situations were handled thoughtfully and in alignment with the county’s organizational values. Clark County thanks the employees for their service with the county and wishes them the best in the future,” the statement reads.
McAnally wrote that the county is committed to providing a discrimination and harassment-free environment for employees.
Even with the settlement, Hutson said there’s been a lack of accountability within county management to change the culture in the public works department. He described public works as “detached” from county administration in a way that allowed the men’s concerns to be ignored.
“We agreed to depart and yet you’re left with this feeling like it still hasn’t changed anything,” Hutson said.
