Man says phone company denied transfer to care for elderly father

A man has filed suit against his former employer, alleging he was forced to resign from his job in order to care for his disabled father.

Kyle B. Lewis alleges he was working as a customer service technician for defendant Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. when his 82-year-old father became seriously ill and unable to care for himself.  In an attempt to provide care for his father, Lewis requested a hardship transfer, according to the complaint filed Aug. 5 in U.S. District Court for the Beaumont Division of the Eastern District of Texas.

Although Lewis' immediate supervisor and other supervisors approved the transfer, the human resources supervisor denied his request, saying "everyone your age has sick and elderly parents," the suit states.

Lewis contested the decision, sending his father's medical files and a doctor's letter describing his father's disability, the complaint says. Still, his request was denied, he alleges.

"Plaintiff had advised defendant that, without the transfer, he would not be able to take care of his disabled parent," the suit states. "Defendant used that information to harass and badger plaintiff into resigning."

Lewis alleges he lost his right to transfer due to his age and his association with a disabled person in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In his complaint, Lewis seeks reinstatement to his prior job, back and front pay, compensatory damages, exemplary and liquidated damages, attorney fees, costs and other relief the court deems just.

Kenneth W. Lewis and Stephen L. Townsend of Bush Lewis in Beaumont will represent him.

The case number is U.S. District Court for the Beaumont Division of the Eastern District of Texas case 1:14-cv-404.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Beaumont Division of the Eastern District of Texas. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it represents only one side of the story.