Express Employment Professionals sued for allegedly not checking background of temporary employees

NEW ORLEANS – A St. Tammany construction company is suing a Metairie-based personnel service for allegedly not properly checking the background of temporary employees they provided.

Rainbow International of Southeast Louisiana filed suit on Feb. 17 in Orleans Parish Civil District Court against Express Employment Professionals.

The plaintiff claims it contracted the defendant to provide temporary workers to them for a fee. The defendants are accused of breaching contract by not providing drug screenings, not making sure their employees were licensed drivers and failing to inform the company of employees who had criminal records. The company also allege the defendant provided them with an employee who received a ticket for driving a work truck without a license.

In addition, Rainbow claims at least one worker provided by Express who was known to have a criminal conviction lost a contract for the company due to misrepresenting time records and not completing a job. Lastly, the plaintiff alleges a worker provided by Express lost a contract when he entered a home even though the contract ordered no workers should enter residences. The plaintiff also alleges that after it terminated its contract with Express, uniforms worth $1,819.45 were not returned.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for breach of contract, consequential damages, expense of mitigation of damages and a declaratory judgment that the plaintiff should not have to pay for the defendant's services.

The plaintiff is being represented by New Orleans-based attorney Everett R. Fineran.

The case has been assigned to Division F Judge Christopher J. Bruno.

Case number 2012-01651