A former champion boxer and U.S. Army veteran is suing his employer, Consumers Energy — Michigan’s second largest utility company — for $15 million, alleging years of discrimination and harassment that came to a head on Sept. 29 when he was suspended from his position as a gas technician.

Attorney Nabih Ayad filed the lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court on Oct. 2 on behalf of Bilal Sekou, 49, who changed his name from Joe Louis Manley Jr. 14 years ago.

Council of American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Dawud Walid, left, former light welterweight boxing champion Bilal Sekou and attorney Nabih Ayad at a press conference in Farmington Hills on Oct. 2 announcing a civil rights lawsuit against utility company Consumers Energy.

Sekou won the International Boxing Federation light welterweight championship in 1987. As an amateur he qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but did not compete because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics.
The lawsuit alleges that Sekou was continuously harassed and denied equal opportunity as a Consumers employee since he changed his name and began wearing a Muslim prayer cap in 1994.

The complaint states that on one occasion, a co-worker said in Sekou’s presence “something to the effect of’ ‘We need to kill all these crazy-ass Muslims.'” When Sekou responded saying he was a Muslim, the co-worker allegedly said, “we need to wipe you out too and just take care of the problem.”

The lawsuit accuses Consumers management of doing nothing to stop the harassment, of demoting Sekou because of his religion and of denying him overtime hours.

Ayad said Sekou held his frustration in for years because, as a fighter, it was not in his nature to complain.

“They were basically harassing him because of his religion,” Ayad said. “For 16 years he’s been working at this gas company… It’s a shame that an American hero who fought in the name of the U.S. was treated in this fashion. This has been going on for many years… He finally said enough is enough.”

Ayad said Sekou did file one complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1996, which found there was discrimination, but the harassment continued.

Consumers Energy spokespeople have not commented on the lawsuit, citing company policy that prevents them from speaking about pending litigation.

Ayad said Sekou was suspended Sept. 29 after being accused of making threatening remarks about a supervisor while speaking to another co-worker. Sekou denies the accusation as hearsay.