Woman employed on oil platform claims gender discrimination, sexual harassment

GRETNA – An employee who was terminated from her employment aboard an offshore oil platform is suing her former employer for allegedly allowing sexual harassment and gender discrimination in her workplace and firing her in retaliation after she reported the incidents.

Tamneshia Adams filed suit against Sodexo Remote Sites Partnership, Randall Cullen and their insurer in the 24th Judicial District Court on March 6.

Adams contends she was deployed as an employee of Sodexo working as a cook aboard an offshore oil platform located in the Gulf of Mexico owned by Shell. The plaintiff asserts during her employment Cullen, her supervisor, defamed her when he allegedly told others that while working on the oil platform that she had been engaging in sexual activities with several co-workers and that at least on one occasion he had personally witnessed with another Sodexo supervisor who was married. Adams claims that following Cullen’s statements she told Sodexo executives about the incident, but no action was taken.

The plaintiff alleges that Cullen continued to defame her at which point she filed multiple formal complaints against him and that the married Sodexo supervisor Cullen claimed to have witnessed her in sexual act with also filed formal complaints after which he was transferred. Despite multiple complaints from at least two parties against Cullen the plaintiff contends no action was taken against him and no investigation was ever undertaken on the matter. Further, Adams contends that on Sept. 22, 2014 she filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and that she was written up on Sept. 24 for poor performance and fired, which she claims was in retaliation for her complaints and EEOC filing.

The defendant is accused of retaliatory firing, sexual discrimination and sexual harassment.

Damages in excess of $50,000 are sought for defamation, infliction of emotional distress, mental anguish, loss of wages, defamation and attorney’s fees.

Adams is represented by attorney Glenn C. McGovern of Metairie.

The case has been assigned to Division P Judge Lee V. Faulkner Jr.

Case no. 747-466.