HOUSTON – A Houston resident alleges that Sanderson Farms, Inc. mistreated her because she is transgendered and fired her for complaining to her superiors.
Serenity Colquitt filed a lawsuit on Aug. 29 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas. According to Colquitt, the termination occurred on Oct. 29, 2015, just eight months after the defendant hired her to its processing division.
Colquitt asserts that she “was subjected to extremely offensive name-calling, offensive sexual gestures, and hostility based on her sex and gender.”
“As a transgender female, the plaintiff was often ridiculed and called “f**’, ‘he-she’, ‘sir’ and ‘mister’,” the original petition says.
“These are just a few of the offensive names used to reference the plaintiff on almost a daily basis.”
Court papers further claim that the respondent failed to respond to her complaints, adding she was denied a promotion and punished for taking medical leave.
“Shortly after having complained of the harassment, the plaintiff was interrogated by her supervisor about a bathroom break she took,” the suit says.
“The plaintiff was discharged the next day for purported insubordination.”
Colquitt believes her dismissal was to get her back for reporting the purported discrimination and harassment.
Consequently, the complainant seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
She is represented by attorney LaShawn A. Williams of the law firm Baldwin Jones & Williams PLLC in Houston.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:16-CV-2627