Keith Carter Sues NRSC: National Republican Senatorial Committee Racist?

Keith Carter worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) since 1995. He was fired in July 2010, has filed a lawsuit and is charging racism.

The lawsuit names Executive Director Rob Jesmer, Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross and Chief Financial Officer Jay Banning:

Carter, who is black, said he was referred to as “boy” and forced to clean up the feces of dogs white employees had brought to work.

He filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court on Monday.

Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the NRSC, disputed the charges.

“This is an unfortunate action taken by a disgruntled former employee,” said Walsh. “The suit is meritless, and we look forward to its resolution.”

Carter was hired as a building engineer. He managed "the building" and says he was "often invited to participate in management meetings." He says his good relationship with NRSC ended in 2009, as he was "stripped of his supervisory responsibility and ordered to perform menial tasks."

The NRSC termination letter said Carter did not obey instructions, left work early and smoked in the basement:

Carter claims that when one Republican official asked him and his co-worker to do a job, he would often say: “Boys, we need you to … ”

Carter alleges he was instructed to clean up trash after political events, a task not previously included in his job description.

The complaint also states that Carter “was instructed to clean dog waste that other employees (who regularly bring their dogs to work) neglected to pick up.”

Carter said he was not allowed to remind the white employees to pick up after their own dogs.

Carter also claims he was “berated and cursed at” when he explained that he could not immediately fulfill a request to expand the political director’s office. Carter said he told a senior committee official the wall could not be moved without consultation with an electrician.

The complaint alleges the senior official who berated Carter “does not speak to any of the other white employees of the NRSC in this manner.”

The NRSC now has one Black employee. The article does not say who is paying Carter's attorney or if the ACLU is involved.