Sahara agrees to pay $100,000 to settle case for name-calling

The Sahara agreed to pay $100,000 to settle the case of buffet worker who said he was frequent object of barbs from co-workers based on his Egyptian heritage.

According to complaint filed in U.S. District Court last year, Ezzat Elias, a food runner at the hotel, was called names such as Taliban and bin Laden, both in person and through graffiti scrawled on his locker. He lost his job in January this year.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which brought the case, said the Sahara had not followed proper practices for halting harassment and had terminated him as punishment.

The company denied the charges, saying that Elias had not followed the procedures put in place to protect employees.

As part of the settlement, the Sahara did not admit any wrongdoing.

Out of the settlement money, $85,000 will go to Elias and $15,000 to the Nevada Equal Rights Commission. In addition, the Sahara agreed to erase any bad marks in Elias' employment record and hire a consultant to review and change employment discrimination protections.