Thornton Tomasetti finds itself at the center of legal turmoil as it faces allegations of racial discrimination from II In One Concrete, a subcontracting firm.
According to Fox News, the lawsuit, worth $40.75 million, accuses Thornton Tomasetti of bias against II In One Concrete’s work on the prestigious Obama Presidential Center project, which the engineering firm strongly denies.
Headquartered in New York, Thornton Tomasetti has been tasked with providing structural engineering services for the Obama Presidential Center. The center is taking shape on an expansive 19.3-acre site located at Chicago’s Jackson Park. Initially estimated to cost $350 million, the project's expenses have soared to $830 million due to various developments.
The center is designed to enhance the community with a 235-foot tower museum, a library, and conference facilities. Despite the allegations, the Obama Foundation assures that there will be no delays affecting its completion timeline. The Obama Presidential Library is set to open next year, featuring digitized documents and a variety of amenities.
II In One Concrete plays a significant role in the project as part of a joint venture team composed of 51% minority-led businesses. This composition meets the Obama Presidential Center's goal of having 35% of its subcontractors be minority-owned. However, the subcontractor claims of racial discrimination center on Thornton Tomasetti’s professional critiques, which they allege are biased.
Thornton Tomasetti has responded by citing specific deficiencies in II In One Concrete’s contributions. The engineering firm expressed concerns over issues such as cracked concrete and exposed rebar, which it attributed to performance problems rather than any racial bias.
Emily Bittner, vice president of communications at the Obama Foundation, clarified the Foundation's stance regarding the racial discrimination allegations. She emphasized that they would take immediate action if any vendor was determined to be acting with racial intentions. However, the Foundation itself is not legally involved in the lawsuit filed by II In One Concrete.
The lawsuit not only alleges racial discrimination but also claims that the Obama Foundation failed to compensate the firm for the additional work required by Thornton Tomasetti’s suggestions. Thornton Tomasetti has filed a motion to dismiss the claims, arguing that the criticisms were purely based on technical shortcomings unrelated to racial discrimination.
In a formal motion, Thornton Tomasetti's legal representation stated:
Plaintiffs are not immune from having their work scrutinized simply because they are minority-owned, or because the project prioritizes using the services of minority-owned businesses. Professional criticism, without more, is not racism.
Moreover, Thornton Tomasetti disputes the assertion made by II In One Concrete that standards were altered beyond usual industry norms. The firm maintains that its guidelines and quality control measures were applied consistently across the project. The motion to dismiss further elaborates that the lawsuit’s proposition is an “outrageous” one, suggesting that businesses should be exempt from achieving compliance with required specifications.
As this legal battle unfolds, Thornton Tomasetti remains steadfast in its position, insisting that its critiques arose from standard quality assurance practices and were not racially motivated. The firm continues to call for the dismissal of the lawsuit, labeling it as devoid of factual basis.
While contentious legal proceedings continue, the Obama Presidential Center project maintains forward momentum with anticipated completion dates still on target. Thornton Tomasetti’s role remains under scrutiny, but the focus is also on ensuring the project meets high standards as intended.
With the unfolding lawsuit, Thornton Tomasetti faces serious charges of racial discrimination, but insists its feedback was performance-based. II In One Concrete claims the criticisms were rooted in racial bias, as they accused the firm of altering standards. Meanwhile, the Obama Foundation stands by its vendors, prioritizing timely completion.
