Brazoria Co. man claims Champion tried to fire him over race, disability

HOUSTON - Brazoria County resident Willie Johnson is suing Champion Technologies Inc. over "pervasive discrimination being allowed by management," recent court documents say.

A lawsuit filed Dec. 28 in Houston federal court alleges Champion treated Johnson poorly because of his race and made attempts to fire him.

The defendant hired Johnson as a process operator in August 2005.

According to the plaintiff, he possessed a spotless performance record until he began to complain about "management actively creating an overly hostile work environment" for him.

Johnson claims there were a couple of instances in which he discovered graffiti he believes was racist in nature, adding that the defendant subsequently retaliated against him for demanding remedial action.

He also recalls the respondent ordering him to submit to a drug test immediately after a forklift accident though company policy requires at least 24 hours after any incident.

The suit asserts that Johnson's mental health changed for the worse yet Champion purportedly failed and refused to accommodate his condition.

It additionally recounts an event in which the plaintiff made a mistake while mixing chemicals, something for which the respondent supposedly did not train Johnson but nonetheless administered disciplinary action.

And because the complainant "refuses to tolerate discrimination and harassment at the hands of the defendant and management", efforts to get him terminated were undertaken, the original petition insists.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Kamisha M. Mickey with Williams Refuge & Mickey PLLC in Houston is representing Johnson.

Case No. 4:12-CV-3747