Freeport man argues co-worker's 'baseless' statement about threats cost him his job

GALVESTON - Freeport resident Manuel Salas has taken his former employer to court over his termination last year.

A lawsuit filed Aug. 14 in Galveston federal court claims Shintech Inc.'s dismissal of Salas for supposedly threatening a co-worker was rooted in racial discrimination.

The defendant hired the plaintiff, who is Hispanic, as a process technician in 1999.

According to the suit, Salas's ordeal began one day in March 2011 when he was prompted to stop two employees, a black man and a white woman, from arguing with each other.

More than a year after the event in question, Shintech's human resources department summoned Salas and quizzed him about what transpired.

The respondent then told Salas it had a statement from the black worker, who has since been fired for making threats himself, saying the plaintiff threatened him, the original petition says.

Salas insists he was "never shown this baseless statement," but was nonetheless fired.

He adds other similarly non-Hispanic employees were spared the punishment he received.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Bruce A. Coane of Coane and Associates PLLC in Houston is representing the complainant.

Case No. 3:13-CV-295