A former employee is suing claiming he was subjected to violations of the Texas Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act.
Justin Rice filed a lawsuit Feb. 26 in the Houston Division of the United States Court for the Southern District of Texas against BAH Texas LLC, citing violation of Title VII and Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code and Violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The complaint states in June 2012, Rice began working for the defendant at Church’s Fried Chicken on Hughes Road in Houston. The plaintiff claims that from the beginning he was required to work a large number of hours off the clock and was allegedly instructed not to report those hours.
In addition, the manager at the plaintiff's store sexually harassed Rice, which contributed to the subsequent separation of Rice from his wife, according to the complaint.
The plaintiff contends after the manager fired Rice on Jan. 3, 2013, the defendant offered to reinstate Rice. The plaintiff accepted reinstatement, but immediately encountered retaliation from local BAH Texas personnel, which made it infeasible for Rice to continue working, according to the complaint.
Rice is seeking actual damages, liquidated damages, punitive damages, costs and fees.
The plaintiff is being represented in the case by attorney David C. Holmes.
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:14-cv-00476
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.