A Harrison County man is suing a Dallas corporation, alleging unlawful employment practices that culminated in his discharge.
William Earl Brown filed a lawsuit July 23 against Trinity Industries of Dallas in the Tyler Division of the Eastern District of Texas, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation by his employer in May.
According to the complaint, Brown, an African-American male, was hired by Trinity Industries in 1995. The suit says a supervisor began to harass him in 2013 by accusing him of encouraging other employees to file equal opportunity complaints, when in fact, EEOC contact data is public information and was posted on the company’s bulletin board in the break room.
The lawsuit states the supervisor actually contacted the EEOC himself in 2014 in an attempt to frame Brown as the harassing party and when Brown was fired in May 2014, his supervisor alleged it was because the plaintiff was sleeping on the job.
Brown alleges he was on break during the alleged nap, and that white and Hispanic employees who napped during breaks were not terminated. The plaintiff contends his dismissal served as evidence of racially based disparate treatment.
Brown seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, full compensation for damages including back and front pay in lieu of reinstatement, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney fees, expenses and costs. He is represented by attorney Alex Castetter of Stuckey, Garrigan & Castetter in Nacogdoches.
Tyler Division of the Eastern District of Texas case number 6:15-cv-00705-MHS.