Chevron Ordered to Pay $368,000 for Bias

Chevron USA Inc. was ordered to pay two former employees $368,000 by a federal judge for emotional distress caused when they were denied promotions because of their race. U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson in San Francisco issued the ruling against the unit of Chevron Corp. The employees, Archie Barefield and Salvador Monarrez, claimed they suffered depression and other symptoms after being denied promotions to foreman and lead mechanic respectively in 1985. Both have left the company. Henderson ruled that a third man, Leon Francies, hadn’t shown that his failure to obtain promotions was due to discrimination. Executives of the oil company weren’t immediately available for comment.