Fed Jury Awards $3 Million in Racial Harassment Lawsuit Against SC Repossession Company

She testified that she “was pinned up against the wall with him blocking me . . . [and] [y]elling and spitting in my face to where I couldn’t move to the left or to the right or forward.”

Fed Jury Awards $3 Million in Racial Harassment Lawsuit Against SC Repossession Company

Florence, SC – May 22, 2026 – Following a trial in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, a federal jury has awarded Webb-Harrison, a 55-year-old African American woman and a former employee of Associates Asset Recovery, LLC, a judgement of $3 million in damages in a racial harassment and retaliation lawsuit.

As big as the judgement is, the allegations were bigger.

Read the Court Report with Testimony Here!

The Testimony

The lawsuit alleged race and sex discrimination, retaliation, hostile work environment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault, and battery arising from Webb-Harrison’s employment with Associates Asset Recovery between March 2019 and June 2021.

According to court filings, Webb-Harrison, a 55-year-old African American woman, worked in multiple positions at the company’s Florence, South Carolina corporate office, including customer service, billing, and the company’s DRN/LPR recovery department.

The report and recommendation filed in the case detailed testimony and allegations involving repeated racial slurs, anonymous threatening text messages, disputes over pay, and a heated confrontation involving company ownership.

Webb-Harrison testified she overheard Florence office manager Michelle Rogers allegedly referring to her using racial and derogatory terms including “nigger,” “black bitch,” “bitch,” and “cunt.”

According to the filing, Webb-Harrison stated she reported the alleged comments to supervisor Debbie Cooper, who allegedly suggested she wear headphones to block out the remarks.

The report states Rogers denied making the comments.

The lawsuit also referenced an October 2020 incident involving a coworker, Drew Andrews, who allegedly referred to Webb-Harrison using a racial slur in a text message shown to her by another employee.

Court records state Webb-Harrison reported the incident internally and an investigation followed. Andrews was reportedly suspended for two days.

The filings further alleged that after complaints were made, Rogers criticized Webb-Harrison’s work and allegedly stated that Webb-Harrison “didn’t know [her] place.”

According to testimony cited in the report, Rogers also allegedly referred to another employee who supported Webb-Harrison as a “nigger-lover” and allegedly stated company owner Tony Cooper would eventually “have to choose” between them.

The case additionally involved allegations surrounding anonymous racially charged text messages allegedly sent through the TextNow application between late 2020 and early 2021.

The messages allegedly referred to Webb-Harrison using terms including “slave,” “porch monkey,” “nigger,” and “bitch.”

One message quoted in the filing stated:

“He want the niggers gone… It all race caus no nig smart enough to manage.”

Webb-Harrison testified she believed the messages were coming from someone within the company because they referenced workplace events and internal details, though she stated she could not definitively identify the sender.

According to the filing, Tony Cooper testified that he and other members of management had also received anonymous text messages and that police were unable to determine who sent them.

The report also referenced allegations involving payroll practices. Webb-Harrison alleged she had been instructed to alter pay records affecting a Black driver. During deposition testimony, however, she reportedly identified only one driver by name.

Assault Claim

One of the most serious allegations involved a June 2021 confrontation between Webb-Harrison and company owner Tony Cooper over a dispute involving her pay raise.

Webb-Harrison testified that she “was pinned up against the wall with him blocking me . . . [and] [y]elling and spitting in my face to where I couldn’t move to the left or to the right or forward.”

According to the filing, another company manager acknowledged the conversation became heated but disputed portions of Webb-Harrison’s account.

Cooper reportedly testified to a very different version of events, stating Webb-Harrison had approached him upset about financial difficulties and that he offered her money to help with her checking account situation.

Court records state Webb-Harrison never returned to work following the confrontation and alleged she had been constructively discharged.

Sufficient Evidence

In its report and recommendation, the court found Webb-Harrison had presented sufficient evidence for a hostile work environment claim to proceed, citing the alleged racial slurs, anonymous messages, and confrontation with Cooper.

The filing also referenced Fourth Circuit precedent describing the racial epithet at issue as “perhaps no single act” more capable of creating an abusive working environment.

However, the report separately concluded that Webb-Harrison had not established constructive discharge under the higher legal standard required for that claim.

The judgment entered by the court states claims against defendant Michelle Rogers had previously been dismissed and that the judgment represented the “final disposition of all remaining issues in this case.”

The Judgement

Court records show plaintiff AnnShareee Webb-Harrison prevailed against Associates Asset Recovery, LLC after a jury returned a verdict on May 20, 2026, in Civil Action No. 4:23-cv-03812-JD.

The jury declined to find Tony Cooper liable for assault and battery, so no damages were awarded for that claim.

According to the final judgment entered May 22, 2026, Webb-Harrison was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages, along with post-judgment interest and costs.

It is unclear whether post-trial motions or appeals will follow.

Sources:
United States District Court for the District of South Carolina Judgment Filings

Fed Jury Awards $3 Million in Racial Harassment Lawsuit Against SC Repossession Company – Fed Jury Awards $3 Million in Racial Harassment Lawsuit Against SC Repossession Company – Fed Jury Awards $3 Million in Racial Harassment Lawsuit Against SC Repossession Company