NEW ORLEANS — An Orleans Parish African-American man is suing a Chevrolet dealership, alleging unlawful employment practices, retaliation and wrongful termination.
Terry Gibson filed a lawsuit April 6, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Leson Chevrolet Company, Inc., alleging violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law.
According to the complaint, Gibson suffered damages, loss of wages and benefits, disappointment and humiliation due to his treatment at Leson Chevrolet. The plaintiff alleges Leson denied him promotion opportunities and hired Caucasians for positions that Gibson applied for and for which he was clearly more qualified.
The suit says Gibson was prohibited from congregating on the sales floor to wait on customers but allowed Caucasian employees to do the same. The lawsuit states the defendant showed preferential treatment to Caucasians by giving them more sales leads and customer referrals.
The suit says Gibson's employment was terminated in May 2015 without Leson Chevrolet performing any investigation into the plantiff's complaints.
Gibson seeks trial by jury, judgment against the defendant, compensation for lost wages and fringe benefits, reinstatement, front pay, punitive damages, attorney fees, expenses, costs and all other relief as the court deems proper. He is represented by attorney Christopher L. Williams of Williams Litigation LLC in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-02868