HOUSTON – A Chinese national residing in Houston alleges he was retaliated against and terminated by his former employer because of his request for medical leave and because of his national origin.
Zhichao Sun filed a complaint on Aug. 16 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Pros Inc. alleging that the former employer violated the Family Medical Leave Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff began working for the defendant through a work visa in 2012 and was employed as a consultant. The suit states he reported to his supervisor he planned to request FMLA leave for his medical conditions and his wife's pregnancy in June or July 2016 and took the leave in late 2016. The suit states he was terminated March 31, 2017.
The plaintiff holds Pros Inc. responsible because the defendant allegedly subjected him to adverse employment actions and retaliated against him and terminated his employment for exercising his FMLA rights and terminated him because of his national origin.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks economic damages, liquidated damages, attorney’s fees, costs, interest and any other relief that the court deems just and equitable. He is represented by John E. Chapoton Jr. and Gwyneth A. Campbell of Chapoton Sanders Scarborough LLP in Houston and R. Scott Oswald and Nicholas Woodfield of The Employment Law Group PC in Washington, D.C.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 4:18-cv-02833