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LOUISIANA RECORD

Saturday, June 15, 2024

Former Employee Alleges Racial Harassment Against Spicy Daugx Operators

Federal Court
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Christian Hill has filed a civil action against his former employer, Spicy Daugx Operators Louisiana, LLC, alleging violations of multiple federal and state laws. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on May 13, 2024. The defendants named in the case include Spicy Daugx Operators Louisiana, LLC, BNR Production Partners, LLC, and XYZ Insurance Company.

Hill's complaint outlines a series of troubling incidents during his brief employment at Spicy Daugx from March 14 to May 19, 2023. At just 19 years old and as the only Black employee on payroll, Hill alleges he faced racial harassment from his immediate supervisor, Dakota Blizzard. According to Hill, Blizzard frequently used racial slurs and made derogatory comments about his race. The situation escalated when Hill suffered an on-the-job injury due to Blizzard's negligence. Instead of receiving support or proper medical attention, Hill claims he was sent home and subsequently replaced by a white employee.

The complaint details further discriminatory actions taken by Blizzard to prevent Hill from returning to work. For instance, Blizzard allegedly instructed another employee not to give Hill rides to work and sent threatening text messages containing racial slurs. When Hill reported these incidents to the head manager known as "Scooby," he was fired later that same day without any termination paperwork.

Hill's legal team argues that these actions constitute a hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and violate several other laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Louisiana Constitution, the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Act, and Louisiana’s Whistleblower Protection Law. "A single incident of racial harassment of sufficient intensity is enough to prove a hostile work environment claim," states the complaint while referencing previous court rulings such as Henry v. Corpcar Servs. Hous., Ltd.

In addition to seeking damages for emotional distress and lost wages due to wrongful termination, Hill is also pursuing claims for unpaid overtime under the FLSA. He asserts that Spicy Daugx failed to pay him time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 per week despite routinely working between 45-60 hours weekly.

Hill's attorneys Hope Phelps and William Most are seeking multiple forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages, special damages, unpaid benefits and compensation related to FLSA violations, attorney’s fees, post-judgment interest at the highest rates allowed by law, late payment penalties under Louisiana law, declaratory reliefs among others.

The case is being overseen by Judge JE-MLH with Case ID: 5:24-cv-00626-JE-MLH.

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