GROTON, Conn. (AP) – Electric Boat said it fired five shipyard employees after what a spokesman called an incident of group bullying and harassment with racial overtones.

The employees were fired Friday over the incident, which happened in mid-February at the naval submarine base.

Electric Boat spokesman Robert Hamilton said the company launched an investigation immediately after learning of the allegations. He said the five workers are not being identified because the incident is a personnel matter.

New London NAACP President Waldren Phillips said he learned of the incident Feb. 20 from the victim, a black nuclear engineer. Phillips said the employees involved were all white.

The victim, who did not want to be identified, told WTNH-TV that he couldn’t stand on the sidelines and allow such things to happen.

Phillips said the incident happened Feb. 15 and 16. The first day, an employee grabbed the engineer “in a bear hug-type grab and swung him about, causing pressure and pain,” Phillips told The Day of New London, adding that later in the day the same employee put the engineer in a “full nelson-type wrestling hold.”

The next day, the same employee and several others surrounded the engineer and stopped him from leaving, according to Phillips.

Phillips said they said, “What are you going to do now, we got you,” and “You’re the only black boy here.” One said he wanted to stuff the engineer in a trash can.

Another employee broke up the incident, Phillips said.

He said Electric Boat acted “responsibly and swiftly” but he is still waiting for a federal response because the incident happend on a sub base.

Base spokesman Christopher Zendan said the Submarine Base Security Department is investigating and will direct any findings to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Phillips said he has spoken with Electric Boat President John Casey several times about the incident and was pleased with the response.

“I know John personally, and I know what kind of a man he is and he was genuinely concerned over this issue,” Phillips said.

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Information from: WTNH-TV, http://www.wtnh.com, and The Day, www.theday.com

AP-ES-03-05-06 1158EST