In addition, the black men say their white American counterparts received better pay raises and more opportunities to work overtime. They allege their complaints about discrimination were ignored and their mistreatment got worse after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Now, the three from Sudan have gone to court over the alleged harassment.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, they accuse the Oakland, Calif.-based company of creating a hostile work environment and discriminating based on race and national origin. The three - Alaeldin Ahmedomer, Elsadig Osman and Mohammed Ahmedomer, who no longer work at the Sugar House area plant - are seeking unspecified damages.

A representative of Dreyer's legal department said Wednesday the company's lawyers cannot comment because they have not seen the suit.

The suit alleges the men were sent home before white American workers when there was not enough work to do; were required to submit doctors' notes, while other employees were not; received less desirable job assignments; and were left out of company functions when Dreyer's repeatedly denied their requests to include food without pork products that they could eat.

"Employees were instructed not to speak with the 'Muslim employees' because they could 'cause problems for the company,' ” the suit also says.

Alaeldin Ahmedomer was employed by Dreyer's from May 2000 to January 2003, when he allegedly was fired in retaliation for complaining about discriminatory treatment. Osman, who worked at the plant from June 2001 to December 2002, and Mohammed Ahmedomer, who was employed there from August 2001 to August 2002, quit but say they were "constructively discharged" - or harassed so badly they had no choice but to leave.

Osman became a U.S. citizen this year. The Ahmedomers, who are brothers, are legal residents who have applied for citizenship.

pmanson@sltrib.com