TAMPA – An African-American man is suing his former employer alleging that he was terminated for filing a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Calvin Jones filed a complaint on March 16 in the Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida against Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC citing hostile work environment and retaliation.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that he was verbally humiliated by his branch manager because of his race. Despite his success in work, his branch manager allegedly constantly harassed him for issues which Caucasian employees did not receive any warnings. The plaintiff holds Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC responsible because the defendant's branch manager allegedly continued to harass him through emails and write-ups, even after he was transferred to a Louisiana office, and terminated him in 2014 in retaliation of his filing of EEOC charges for allegedly failing to meet the job's performance standards.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory damages in an amount equal to his lost compensation and benefits, statutory damages, attorneys' fees and costs, reinstatement or front pay, and any further relief that the court may deem just and proper. He is represented by Frank M. Malatesta of Malatesta Law Office in Nokomis.
Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida Case number 8:16-cv-00623