HOUSTON – A former vice president with an infrastructure and environmental services company asserts he was terminated for refusing to commit an illegal act.
Harris County resident Robert Esenwein brought a lawsuit against Cardno, Inc. on Dec. 15 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas.
Per recent court papers, Esenwein’s superior instructed the plaintiff to commit fraud on Dec. 21, 2015. The former allegedly wanted Esenwein to tell Conroe Independent School District that Cardno and a third party service provider, InSite, had a longstanding relationship, and InSite produced good quality work.
The complaint states Cardno had never worked with InSite, stating the company intended for the plaintiff to mislead Conroe ISD. Esenwein subsequently reported the scheme in question to his ex-employer’s legal action, to which the original petition claims prompted the defendant to retaliate against him.
Cardno fired the complainant on Feb. 9, 2016 for supposedly “creating a hostile work environment.” According to Esenwein, the move “was bogus and a subterfuge.”
Consequently, the plaintiff seeks unspecified monetary damages.
He is represented by attorney David C. Holmes of the Law Offices of David C. Holmes in Houston.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:17-CV-3790