A Grant Parish man is suing a trucking company after he was terminated for notifying the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of a potential illegal immigrant without a drivers license transporting goods for the company.
Jonathan Paul says he was fired from TD Solutions in 2017 after he informed management and OSHA about an employee he believed to be an illegal immigrant working at the facility. Paul filed the complaint in U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana Alexandria Division on Aug. 30 against both TD Solutions and Volt Power LLC.
TD Solutions and Volt Power merged in January, according to court documents. Volt acquired all interest and debt of TD Solutions.
T&D Solutions sets up electrical lines throughout the states.
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Paul is suing for past, present and future loss of earnings and fringe benefits, mental anguish and humiliation embarrassment and inconvenience suffered. In addition, he is also seeking penalty and damages and attorney fees. Paul claims he lost hours of work and money as a result of TD Solutions hiring and using an illegal immigrant to operate the company's vehicles for transport. According to the court filing, Paul was employed with TD Solutions for five years until his September 2017 termination.
In the complaint, Paul claims the employee to which he filed a complaint about was "potentially an illegal immigrant and didn't have a proper visa to produce." Additionally, the employee, "didn't possess a valid commercial driver's license to drive commercial trucks." Paul claims he lost hours of work and money as a result of the company hiring and using an illegal immigrant to operate the company's vehicles for transport.
TD Solutions transports equipment like electric poles for the set up of electric lines. According to the complaint, the "potentially illegal immigrant" employee operated commercial vehicles for transport across state lines on numerous occasions hundreds of miles. Paul claims this employee also did not have a valid commercial driver's license, but he was knowingly allowed to operate and transport for TD Solutions between 2013 and 2017.
According to the complaint, Paul complained on numerous occasions about the employee to his supervisor and management for TD Solutions. However, he alleges, the company ignored his complaints. Paul then notified OSHA about the potential illegal immigrant. He claims it was after notifying OSHA that he was demoted when the employee in question was promoted.
According to the complaint, Paul also notified one of TD Solutions vendors, AEP Enterprises, about the potential illegal immigrant who was allegedly transporting equipment and operating commercial vehicles for TD Solutions. AEP Enterprises had hired TD Solutions for electric services projects.
Paul claims soon after notifying AEP Enterprises, he was terminated from TD Solutions.