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LOUISIANA RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Rastafarian accuses Freedom Well Services of religious discrimination

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NEW ORLEANS – An Orleans Parish man says Freedom Well Services terminated him because of his race and religion.

Robert L. Davis filed a lawsuit Jan. 12 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Freedom Well Services LLC, alleging racial and religious discrimination.

According to the complaint, Davis, a Rastafarian and African-American, was hired as a pump operator by the defendant on April 2, 2012. When his manager asked Davis to become a supervisor, he was told he would have to cut his hair for safety reasons, the complaint states. However, Davis says one of the Rastafarian observances prohibits men from cutting their hair.

Three months later, after he passed an examination, the suit says Davis cut his hair and was promoted to supervisor. Shortly after his manager left the company in 2014, Davis says he was called into a meeting with human resources where he was falsely accused of falling asleep on the job and terminated. According to the suit, the defendant listed on the unemployment application that the reason for termination was that Davis did not meet the needs of the company. Davis alleges that he was terminated due to racial and religious discrimination.

Davis seeks a jury trial and either reinstatement or back pay and compensation for future loss of earnings. He is represented by attorney Thomas J. Hogan Jr. of Hogan & Hogan in Hammond.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Case number 2:16-cv-00288

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