A St. Tammany Parish woman is suing her employer, alleging discrimination in a workplace suspension that she says was racially motivated.
Deondra Wright filed a lawsuit Aug. 21 against Ponchartrain Foods Inc. of Mandeville in U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, alleging unlawful employment practice from December 2014 through February 2015.
According to the complaint, Wright was hired by the defendant Nov. 10, 2014, as a cashier at a rate of $7.50 per hour, suspended for five days Dec. 31, 2014, and fired on Feb. 9, 2015.
The suit states white employees who engaged in conduct similar to hers were not disciplined or discharged. Wright charges Ponchartrain with violation of Title VII, because “the plaintiff was in the protected group, was qualified to do, and was doing the work in a satisfactory manner, was terminated, and defendant was motivated by illegal discrimination because of race.”
Wright seeks injunctive action for a return to employment, as well as general, special and compensatory damages of more than $10,000, back pay, benefits, reinstatement, front pay, reasonable attorney fees, pre-judgment interest, expenses and court costs. She is represented by attorney Thomas J. Hogan Jr. of Hogan & Hogan in Hammond.
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:15-cv-03683-LMA-DEK.