Maurica Grant filed a $225 million racial discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against NASCAR! She reached the settlement through mediation.

U.S. District Court Judge Deborah A. Batts suggested mediation for the parties after the first court appearance. The Associated Press is reporting that attorneys for Maurica Grant released a statement from their client that said she was very pleased with the settlement and was ready to move on.

Grant, an African-American female, was a technical inspector who certified cars for NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series from Januray 2005 until sh ewas fired in October 2007. Grants lawsuit alledges that there were 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination during her employment.  

Grant's claims, she said she was referred to as "Nappy Headed Mo" and "Queen Sheba," by co-workers, was often told she worked on "colored people time," and was frightened by one official who routinely made Ku Klux Klan references.      

       Grant also said she was subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom allegedly exposed themselves to her, and graphic and lewd jokes.

   "She'd been out of work a long time. We thought it was in the best interest of our client not to drag this out two to three years," said Benedict P. Morelli of New York-based Morelli Ratner PC. "She needed closure. She's a young woman, and when you make the sort of allegations she did, it's difficult to move forward and get on with your life."      

       "She's very, very happy with the resolution," Morelli said. "And I don't think NASCAR wanted to leave it out there. They wanted to put this behind them, as well."