HOUSTON - A Willis man claims age discrimination cost him employment with National Oilwell Varco, recent court papers say.
Joseph Jett's lawsuit, filed April 30 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas, says NOV fired Jett for allegedly violating company policy, but retained a younger employee who did the same.
Jett was originally employed by Reed Hycalog, which hired him in 2000, until the defendant purchased it in 2009.
NOV began offering early retirement/buy-out packages to senior managers and supervisors after the acquisition, and in early 2010, it started to transfer their younger counterparts to replace retirees.
At the same time, the respondent restructured nearly the entire manufacturing facility.
The company terminated the then-65-year-old Jett on Sept. 24, 2010, for the aforementioned policy violation, but spared a younger worker also accused of the same infraction, the original petition says.
According to the suit, the younger employee accused of the same violation was given a three-day suspension and was allowed to keep his job.
Jett was purportedly replaced by an individual many years his junior.
He maintains the reason for his dismissmal was false.
Consequently, the complainant seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
Attorney Nasim Ahmad of Cline Ahmad in The Woodlands is representing the plaintiff.
Case No. 4:13-CV-1249
National Oilwell Varco fired Willis man because of age, suit says
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