San Francisco construction workers allege racist graffiti, harassment on the job

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Three African American construction workers are claiming they were the targets of racial harassment at a prominent San Francisco highrise project.

Civil Rights attorney John Burris says he's filing a claim with the state on their behalf, as the lead-up to a potential lawsuit. Two of the workers showed off photographs they took at the project. They show racially inflammatory graffiti they say was routinely painted in bathrooms as well as black dolls they say were hung from nooses.

"And I shouldn't be subjected to this stuff just for a job," said construction worker Craig Ogans. "Come on now, this is 2018. You got me feeling like I'm back in my forefather's days where you know, and I can relate to what they experienced."

"The day I started working there I saw racial slurs all over the windows, the toilets, anywhere they could write," said Douglas Russell, another construction worker.

The men worked as elevator operators at the site, which is close to the new Transbay Transit Center.

The lead company, Clark Construction, has not seen the complaint but issued a statement to ABC7 News that you can read here.