CHARLESTON -- A man is suing KJ Group, LLC after he claims it discriminated against him because of his race.
Marquis R. Watson went to the defendant's Subway location in Cross Lanes in April or May 2011 and submitted a written application for employment, according to a complaint filed Aug. 8 in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Watson claims after not hearing back from the defendants, he contacted Wade Shaffer to see if he knew what was occurring with the hiring process.
Shaffer informed Watson he would not be employed by the defendant because KJ Group was no longer employing African Americans, according to the suit.
Watson claims the defendant's failure to hire him because of his race is a violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act.
KJ Group discriminated against Watson because of his race and violated state public policy, according to the suit.
This is at least the fourth time in the last few years that KJ Group has been sued under similar instances.
Watson is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is being represented by J. Michael Ranson, Cynthia M. Ranson, George B. Morrone III and G. Patrick Jacobs.
The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Louis H. Bloom.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-1591