HOUSTON — A former employee is suing BP, alleging he was unfairly terminated due to his race.
Samer Derawi filed a complaint April 8 in Harris County District Court against BP America Productions Company and BP America Inc., alleging unlawful employment practices.
According to the complaint, Derawi was born in Lebanon and is a practicing Muslin. Derawi says he was hired by BP in 2014 as a chemcial engineer with a salary of $200,000.
The plaintiff alleges he was repeatedly the subject of abusive and derogatory comments by his supervisors, Farah Saidi, who is of Persian descent, and Oris Hernandez who is of Venezuelan descent. The plaintiff requested a "360-review," where other other employees review his performance but it was denied.
Derawi says he was continually discriminated against due to his race and, in December 2017, he was terminated and blacklisted in the industry without cause.
Derawi seeks trial by jury, compensatory damages for emotional pain and suffering, attorney fees and other related expenses. He is represented by attorney Kevin Pennell of Pennell Law Firm PLLC in Houston.
Harris County District Court Case number 2019-24849