Plaintiff Alleges Public District Discrimination Based on Race and National Origin
A former employee has taken legal action against a public district, alleging racial and national origin discrimination, as well as retaliation in the workplace. Javier Rodriguez filed a complaint on December 12, 2024, in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, against Indian Trail Water Control District, also known as Indian Trails Improvement District.
Javier Rodriguez claims that during his employment from April 2019 to April 2022 as an Accounts Payable Specialist, he was subjected to discriminatory treatment due to his race and national origin. The lawsuit states that Rodriguez is a white Hispanic Cuban male who faced differential treatment compared to non-Hispanic employees. According to the complaint, during the COVID-19 pandemic, while other employees were allowed to work remotely, Rodriguez was required to return to the office. He alleges this was due to his Hispanic background. Furthermore, he points out instances where human resources staff failed to acknowledge birthdays of Hispanic employees while celebrating those of non-Hispanic staff.
Rodriguez recounts several incidents highlighting alleged discrimination and retaliation. In one instance, when he requested remote work due to COVID-19 exposure within his family, it was denied despite similar requests being granted for non-Hispanic colleagues. His attempts at addressing these discrepancies led to further retaliatory actions by Scarlett Canvey from human resources. He reports unjustified write-ups and increased scrutiny following his complaints about unequal treatment.