A confidential settlement has been reached in a lawsuit by a former county road employee in Mississippi who accused his manager of making racist comments. Both men are African American.

The Commercial Dispatch reports the federal lawsuit was filed in July by Justin Denson, who worked from 2015 to 2017 as a sign technician for Oktibbeha County. A judge signed an order April 8 ending the lawsuit after the settlement was reached.

The lawsuit claimed the Oktibbeha County road manager, Fred Hal Baggett, said several times that Denson looked like a “thug” and once said he looked like a “black savage Viking” because of dreadlocks.

The suit said Denson complained about harassment, and Baggett retaliated by firing him.
Baggett told the newspaper he could not comment on the case.