A Beaumont petro-chemical contractor is being sued by a federal agency for what the agency says is the illegal termination of three Beaumont brothers in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges that the three brothers were fired by Signature Industrial Services, LLC, because they all have Hemophilia A according to a release from the agency.
The EEOC filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Beaumont on behalf of Drew, Anthony and Raymond West the release said.
The blood disorder, which runs in the West family, could cause them to bleed longer than others from minor cuts, dental procedures or trauma according to the National Hemophilia Foundation.
The EEOC alleges that all three brothers were working on a job at the ExxonMobil Refinery in Beaumont when they were terminated.
While the blood disorder does not impede any of the brothers in the performance of their jobs the medication required should they sustain an on-the-job injury or scrape that causes bleeding is expensive according to the release.
When Signature Industrial Services executives learned the company's insurance costs would go up by having the brothers on their payroll they told the project manager responsible for their workers at ExxonMobil to fire Drew and Anthony according to the EEOC's lawsuit.
Anthony West, who had been promoted and received a substantial raise and his brother, Drew, both had an excellent work record with the company and the project manager refused to terminate them the lawsuit said.
Anthony and Drew West had been working for Signature Industrial Services at the refinery since 2011 according to the release.
Raymond West had not yet started working for the company at the time been but began working there in January 2013 the release said.
In April 2013 when the manager who had initially refused to fire Anthony and Drew West was no longer working on the project, Signature Industrial Services upper management told the three brother's immediate supervisor to fire them or be fired himself the lawsuit alleged.
All three brothers were terminated on July 3, 2013 and told it was due to a reduction in force though no one else was let go that day the release said.
The alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities according to the release.
The lawsuit seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages and other relief including reinstatement for the brothers.
The EEOC is seeking a permanent injunction to prohibit the company engaging in disability discrimination in the future the release said.
The EEOC sought to reach a settlement with the company before filing the lawsuit the release said.
