A former employee for the Ridgefield Park Public Works Department has filed a lawsuit claiming he endured racist jokes, was forced to work during family leave and was ultimately fired for not having a commercial driver’s license.

Keenon Tucker, 31, states in court papers he was the only Black employee in the department and that other laborers made jokes that were racist in nature, sometimes using the N-word.

One laborer “made a comment about (Tucker) eating fried chicken, which is commonly understood to be a disparaging comment about African Americans,” states the suit, filed in Bergen County Superior Court on Nov. 13.

Another laborer joked that a running chainsaw sounded like it was repeatedly saying the N-word, the suit alleges.

Ridgefield Park officials did not immediately respond t

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