As a long-time employee at Christus Hospital St. Mary in Port Arthur, Jada Fobbs was supposed to be honored at an employee awards ceremony for 30 years of service. Yet the Southeast Texas Record reports that a racist joke complaint at the ceremony may have led to retaliation, which caused the woman to quit her job.
At the awards ceremony, an administrator reportedly mixed up names and years while handing out the awards. The administrator apologized and said that he was "acting like a black man without an education."
Jada Fobbs' husband then asked to administrator to be removed from the stage because of his offensive words, according to court records. Jada Fobbs claims that her supervisor began retaliatory actions after the incident, which included the employee being denied her equal access to training that a white co-worker was receiving. She eventually found the work conditions unbearable and left the position
Court records do not indicate the race of Jada Fobbs, but she is seeking damages, costs, and attorney's fees in a lawsuit that was filed in the Beaumont Division of the Eastern District of Texas.
This alleged retaliation that Jada Fobbs faced can be considered a form of discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Houston employment lawyers will often defend employees who have been discriminated at their job if the discrimination was on the basis of race, national origin, gender, or religion, as these are the groups who are protected under Title VII, according to FindLaw. Houston employment lawyers will sometimes also defend clients who have faced other forms of discrimination, including discrimination that was on the basis of age, disability, or pregnancy. More information about discrimination laws in the workplace can be found through our Related Resources.
Related Resources:
- Job Discrimination FAQ (FindLaw)
- Dealing with Discrimination: Tips for Employees (FindLaw)
- Find a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
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