ABC-7: Officer gets $200K in racial harassment case

A jury awarded $200,000 to a Cook County correctional officer who said he was the victim of racial harassment on the job. Officer Abraham Yasin is an Arab-American. He said the harassment began in December of 2004.

Yasin said other correctional officers used racial slurs and painted racist graffiti on his locker.

The council on American Islamic relations represented Yasin. He is still employed with the sheriff's department and could not speak publicly. But his attorney said one juror hoped the verdict sent a message.

"A message to the Cook County Sheriff's office that it can't be business as usual. You can't treat somebody like that. You can't attack somebody, you can't threaten anybody," said Jim Fennerty, attorney.

The sheriff's department said it addressed several cases of harassment but could not find the people responsible in three other instances.

The department is looking at options for an appeal.

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