A Howard County businesswoman posted a Web video she says shows two men from Comcast Corp. ? the firm responsible for 80 percent of her business ? rummaging through her warehouse.
Celeste Wooten, owner of Wirespan Communications Inc., alleges in a $13 million lawsuit that Comcast discriminated against her company, and its employees entered her property without permission in 2004, two days before her contract as a minority supplier expired.
Comcast denies the claim. “Wirespan?s allegations are false and without merit,” spokesman Jeff Alexander said. “At no time did … employees inappropriately enter Wirespan?s building.”
Wooten said in a news release that she recently posted the surveillance footage on youtube.com.
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Celeste Wooten, owner of Wirespan Communications Inc., says this video shows Comcast employees entering her property without permission. |
But Alexander said the footage had been altered.
“Specifically, the video has been edited to remove the footage of the individuals ringing the doorbell and … showing Wirespan employees meeting them in the lobby,” he said.
“To Comcast?s knowledge, at no time did Wirespan contact the police or file any charges about this incident.”
In the lawsuit she filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court in November, Wooten alleges that not only did Comcast employees break in to her facility, but systematically destroyed her business by holding her to a different standard than other contractors.
For example, Wooten said, “other nonminority suppliers were allowed to use subcontractors. … Comcast was requiring [full-time employees] of us so we expected them to provide us with the work for those employees and the additional ones we added at their request.”
She said Comcast did not provide the work.
In his statement, Alexander said, “Comcast is committed to upholding diversity and maintaining the highest level of integrity in all aspects of our business. … For the third consecutive year, Comcast has been named as one of America?s top 50 companies for diversity by DiversityInc., and one of America?s top 50 corporations for multicultural business opportunities by DiversityBusiness.com, the largest organization for women and minority-owned businesses throughout the U.S.”
Wirespan at a glance
Celeste Wooten launched Wirespan Communications Inc. in 2002 to capitalize on the burgeoning wired and wireless installation industry.
Wooten contracted as a minority supplier for Comcast Corp. in 2002.
She said she has advanced degrees and experience as a general manager of field operations for Verizon, supervising more than 2,000 employees.
Wirespan was hailed as one of the top 40 minority businesses in the Baltimore region, and revenue grew by 736 percent to $2.9 million in 2004.
The company had about 80 employees and was touted as one of Comcast?s prized minority suppliers.
Wooten said a Comcast management change altered the relationship between the two companies. She alleges in her lawsuit damages of $3 million in debt incurred on behalf of Comcast and $10 million in lost revenues.
She said Wirespan closed as a result.
Editor Therese Umerlik contributed to this story.
