WHEELING – A former employee is suing Keystone Clearwater Solutions LLC after he claims he was discriminated against based on his race and was wrongfully terminated from his employment.
In January 2014, Andre Paige was hired by Keystone, according to a complaint filed Feb. 18 in Ohio Circuit Court and removed to federal court on March 20.
Paige claims when he began working for Keystone he was subjected to numerous racial comments made by other crew members, employees and supervisors.
Keystone and/or its employees and/or agents created a continuous hostile environment in the workplace for Paige and its management had actual knowledge of the hostile work environment for several months and took no corrective action to remedy the situation, according to the suit.
Paige claims in August, he was constructively terminated from his employment without good cause and without due consideration of the facts and circumstances surrounding his employment with Keystone.
On Nov. 21, Keyston sent Paige a letter of termination, according to the suit.
Paige claims he was discriminated against based on his race and that Keystone had actual/constructive knowledge of the discrimination done by Nate Rolfe, Steve Hogan, Scott Bellamay, Dennis Wilmoth, Clyde Coats, Robert McCabe, Tanner St. Clair and Richard Davies, who were all employees or supervisors of the company.
In August, Paige requested to be reassigned to a new crew or area and he was removed from the schedule and was not scheduled to work again, according to the suit.
Paige claims he should not have been terminated and that in doing so, Keystone violated West Virginia public policies.
Keystone acquiesced, condoned, ratified and failed to take affirmative measures to adequately remedy the ongoing racial harassment of Paige and violated state public policies and its own policies and procedures, which caused Paige to suffer, according to the suit.
Paige claimed he was wrongfully terminated from his employment and was in retaliation for complaining about the discrimination.
Paige is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is being represented by Ronald W. Zavolta and Jordan M. Laird of Zavolta Law Office.
The case is assigned to District Judge John Preston Bailey.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia case number: 5:15-cv-00035
