MARSHALL — A former police chief is suing the Carthage school district, alleging he was discriminated against due to his race.
Christopher B. Hardy filed a complaint Aug. 12 in the Marshall Division for the Eastern District of Texas against Carthage Independent School District, alleging racial discrimination.
According to the complaint, Hardy was hired as the chief of police for the school district Feb. 18, 2014. The plaintiff said he was scheduled to be employed for three years but within months of being hired his salary was cut from $56,000 to $50,000 and he was informed at a school board meeting that another individual had been given the position that he was supposed to have received.
On July 3, 2014, the lawsuit states, the school board questioned why Hardy was not under contract and the defendant denied ever having offered the plaintiff employment. The plaintiff is African-American and he alleges his treatment was due to his race.
The plaintiff said he was never paid overtime for events he had to attend even though white employees were paid for these events. Hardy says he was eventually terminated July 31, 201,7 after he did not attend a training session that he had been told previously that he did not need to attend.
Hardy seeks trial by jury, reinstatement, attorney fees, actual and liquidated damages, compensatory damages, interest and all other just relief. He is represented by attorney Nasim Ahmad of Ahmad & Capodice PLLC in The Woodlands.
Marshall Division for the Eastern District of Texas case number 2:19-CV-277