SPARTA, Mo. (AP) — Two former employees of a southwest Missouri city have filed lawsuits alleging that a white alderman used a racial slur and created a hostile work environment.

The lawsuits filed in January and March against the city of Sparta allege that Alderman Jarrett Iorg “engaged in discriminatory conduct.”

One suit says that city leaders retaliated against an employee after she filed a complaint alleging that Iorg mistreated her because she’s Mexican. The second lawsuit claims that another employee also faced retaliation after defending the woman. Sparta city attorney Pat Keck says she can’t comment on pending litigation.

Iorg is running unopposed in this week’s election after the board of aldermen voted last year not to remove him from office. A phone message left for him through the city wasn’t immediately returned.