HOUSTON - Darrel P. Gotch claims he is the subject of racial discrimination as an employee with UPS Ground Freight and seeks damages.
Gotch filed suit Jan. 2 in Harris County District Court only for the defendant, doing business as UPS Freight, to remove the case to the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas on Feb. 13.
The respondent hired Gotch, an African American, in March 1992.
He explains that he was terminated in January 2012 supposedly because of his race, but succeeded in getting his job back two months later.
Despite reinstating him, according to the original petition, the company failed to pay him for the period between Jan. 26 and March 26, 2012.
Gotch further asserts the defendant "sought opportunities to adversely affect [his] employment by writing him up for infractions for which non-black employees are not written up."
One such instance occurred in May 2012 when the respondent disciplined Gotch for failing to collect cash on a shipment, an offense workers of other races reportedly were allowed to resolve "by simply returning to the site to pick up the cash payment in order to prevent a write-up," the suit says.
Court papers add that the company refuses to provide Gotch "necessary training which is designed to ensure that the plaintiff follows the defendant's policies and procedures" in response to his apparent opposition to its discriminatory practices.
A jury trial is requested.
Attorney Angela D. Johnson with The A.D. Johnson Law Firm PLLC in Channelview is representing Gotch.
Case No. 4:13-CV-375
Black worker says company disciplined him because of race
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