Columbus— An Associated Press study showed that Bernie Moreno, a Trump-backed contender for Ohio's important U.S. Senate seat who trumpets his economic prowess, was sued three times for job discrimination before selling his high-end Cleveland car dealership.
Three Cuyahoga County discrimination lawsuits were filed in 2015–2017. Two accused Moreno and Bernie Moreno Cos. of age and gender discrimination. Third, a BMC subsidiary dealership was accused of race discrimination. Moreno was not identified.
A campaign spokeswoman stated that Moreno, a Colombian native, prided himself on offering equal opportunity to all his workers and that the two employees who sued him directly now back his Republican U.S. Senate candidacy
Former President Donald Trump backed Moreno in the three-way primary alongside Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan last month, citing his business achievements. “Bernie Moreno, a highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio, is exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate,” Trump added.
After Trump's endorsement, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell have endorsed Moreno, sparking discrimination accusations. A GOP primary winner on March 19 would face third-term Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, one of Democrats' most vulnerable incumbents in the finely split Senate.
Moreno says he's running for Senate to support measures “good for American workers and families,” while Brown prioritizes “the dignity of work.” three lawsuits that were settled out of court with confidential terms. Such treaties often prohibit both sides from criticizing the other.
The initial 2015 complaint accused BMC and Moreno of gender discrimination. Cara Wilson, a former dealership supervisor from Streetsboro, Portage County, claimed Moreno belittled her as a mother, often in front of her coworkers.
She said that Moreno branded her “a bad leader but a better mother” and remarked, “Lots of people are single parents, put your kids in f—-ing daycare” when she asked about her flex time. The complaint claimed Wilson was unlawfully dismissed, stripped of her flex time schedule, blamed for her dealership's poor performance while being denied the same decision-making power as men.