HOUSTON — A woman is alleging her former employer is preventing her from finding other jobs due to an invalid non-compete contract.
Rhonda Lechuga filed a complaint June 6 in Harris County Court against Texas Internal Pipe Coating LLC alleging breach of contract and other claims.
Lechuga, according to her complaint, worked in internals sales for Texas Internal Pipe for more than eight years. She alleges in 2014, she signed an employment agreement that included a salary of $90,000, a specific bonus structure and a five year term of employment as well as non-compete provisions. Lechuga claims Texas Internal Pipe never abided by the agreement and that in 2018, the company's new management required employees to sign an employee handbook that terminated any prior contracts, including the agreement she signed in 2014.
She further claims that she quit her job in 2022, and accepted a verbal offer to work for another company, however, Texas Internal Pipe issued her a cease and desist letter alleging she had a non-compete. Lechuga alleges that Texas Internal Pipe has prevented her from finding work by telling potential employers she has a non-compete when the 2014 contract/non-compete agreement is invalid because it was not signed by the company's president and a newer contract voided the original employment agreement.
Lechuga seeks monetary relief of more than $250,000, interest and all other just relief. She is represented by Benjamin Foster of Foster Yarborough PLLC in Houston.
Harris County District Court case number 2022-33660