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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Former blood center employee claims wrongful termination stemming from wage dispute over Hurricane Harvey service

Lawsuits
Justicescale

HOUSTON — Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (GCRBC) is facing a lawsuit by a former employee who claims she was retaliated against and fired because of her wage claim with the Texas Workforce Commission alleging that she was not paid for hours worked during Hurricane Harvey. 

Beverly Lee filed a complaint on Nov. 1 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against GCRBC alleging Fair Labor Standards Act violations. According to the lawsuit, Lee claims that she was stranded at the center during Hurricane Harvey, so she continued to work but was not compensated. She brought her allegations to the Texas Workforce Commission and testified in a wage hearing before the committee on January 24, 2018. 

Lee's suit alleges that immediately following her testifying at the hearing, she found a copy of the blood center's code of conduct in her locker as retaliation. She then claims she was suspended and "denied access to the facilities," and received a letter several days later stating her termination would be effective at the end of the month. 

Lee seeks monetary relief, trial by jury, punitive damages, interest and all other just relief. She is represented by Kalandra Wheeler of the Wiley Wheeler Law Firm PC in Houston.

Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 4:19-cv-04315

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