NEW ORLEANS – An African-American man alleges his former Hammond employer subjected him to a hostile work environment.
Devin Bates filed a complaint on Feb. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Speedco Inc. and James Wald alleging that they violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in March 4, 2016, he was terminated from his employment with the defendants as a truck mechanic in retaliation for his complaints of sexual harassment and racial discrimination. He alleges he is now suffering and will continue to suffer irreparable injury and monetary damages. The plaintiff holds Speedco Inc. and Wald responsible because defendant Wald allegedly him subjected to incessant barrage of sexual harassment and racial discrimination and created an intimidating, hostile and offensive work environment.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, costs of this action, together with attorneys’ fees and all other equitable and legal relief. He is represented by Eric Baum and Sagar Shah of Eisenberg & Baum LLP in New York and Andrew D. Bizer of Bizer & DeReus in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:17-cv-01018