A former employee has filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination and retaliation by his previous employer, a property management company. On October 1, 2024, Herman Little lodged a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, against Rainey Property Management, LLC, Rainey Property Management Florida, LLC, and Eva Figueroa.
Herman Little claims that during his employment with Rainey Property Management starting March 7, 2022, he faced discriminatory practices due to his race as an African American. He alleges that after being hired as a groundskeeper by Emily Figueroa and later working under Eva Figueroa, he witnessed the termination of several Black maintenance technicians and was assigned additional duties without appropriate compensation. Little further contends that prospective Black tenants were discouraged from renting units through false information about availability and pricing. Despite reporting these discriminatory practices to his supervisors and the district manager, Kathleen, Little asserts that he was met with retaliatory actions including an excessive workload and unwarranted disciplinary measures.
The complaint outlines how Little's employment was terminated based on his race and in retaliation for his complaints. It states that there was no legitimate business reason for his discharge and that he was replaced by a Hispanic individual. Additionally, Little claims that even after his termination, the defendants continued to retaliate against him by attempting to raise his rent unjustly.
Little seeks judgment against the defendants for violating the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 (FCRA) and the Florida Whistleblower Act (FWA), along with accusations of fraud and deceit. He is pursuing damages exceeding $50,000 for lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages, attorney fees, and other compensatory reliefs.
The case is represented by attorneys Chelsea Lewis from Lewis Law PLLC and Chris Kleppin from The Kleppin Firm P.A., while it will be presided over in Palm Beach County court under Case ID: 502024CA009436XXXAMB Div: AJ.