I've worked at this grocery store now for 2 years. This coworker has hated me since day 1. I have never really talked to him but any interaction I have with him has been super hostile and rude. He is only like this with me and one other coworker. He is nice to mostly everyone else and everyone is well aware how rude he is to me, but none of them know why (or won't tell me why).
I am also at a crossroads because he is black. I am a white male, and this guy is EXTREMELY quick to claim racism to win arguments. I told my manager and assistant manager that I am uncomfortable around him due to his hostility, and that I am not even sure why he is rude to me. We all felt it was because he probably assumed I am racist due to being white and bald (I've encountered this stereotype before, they said he can be that way). This would obviously not be the case because I get along with his black friend who also works there (the guy who drives him to work everyday). I even asked him why his friend hates me and his response was “you never know what's going on in his head, he can be crazy, I would just stay away from him because he already decided he doesn't like you.”.
This also affects my work sometimes. I cannot talk to this guy without him being instantly hostile and saying things like “Don't fucking talk to me” or “Don't fucking look at me”. I've caught him multiple times glaring at me with an aggressive hostile look, which made me so uncomfortable I immediately told the manager. It has only happened a few times in 2 years, but when I see it, it's a look of pure hatred, like he wants to hurt me.
Tonight I had to move his step ladder 3 feet because he put it right in the middle aisle and I couldn't get my pallet through. He wasn't using it at the time, he was 30 feet away. He said “What the fuck, don't fucking touch my stuff” and I said “Sorry I needed to move it to get through” and he reply “Fucking dumbass”. Another time I asked him if an item belonged in his aisle and he said “What are you fucking dumb?” so I just set it down in his aisle and walked away because I am not going to fight with someone over something so stupid. Later that night he was complaining to someone that I was “incompetent”. I do 3 times the work he does every night and paid more than him despite working there for 4 years less than him. (My boss openly told me this when I raised concerns about him).
I could file a report to HR but this guy is not a reasonable person. I think HR would escalate the situation and make it worse. I just don't know what to do because the guy keeps making me feel threatened and his behavior is far from acceptable, but at the end of the day he's black and worked there longer, he will play the race card as soon as I file a report, so I feel like I'd just make more enemies.