A Philadelphia man is suing a casino resort, alleging racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliatory termination.
Tyrone Chevannes filed a lawsuit July 28 against Valley Forge Convention Center Partners, doing business as Valley Forge Casino Resort of King of Prussia, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging civil rights violations during his employment in 2013.
According to the complaint, in January 2013, VFCR hired Chevannes as an overnight shift supervisor and the plaintiff says despite excellent performance of his duties, he was subjected to racial discrimination and harassment, retaliation for complaints and, ultimately, termination Aug. 2, 2013.
The suit states that after racial epithets were directed at Chevannes by a colleague in April 2013, the defendant purportedly found no violation had occurred. The plaintiff alleges retaliatory behavior ensued following his complaint, supervisors became hypercritical, assigned him blame for infractions he had not committed, changed his shift assignment to his disadvantage, and fired him Aug. 2.
The lawsuit states Valley Forge Casino Resort was fully aware of its actions and engaged in a pattern of tolerance of unlawful employment practices. The plaintiff alleges emotional distress and loss of reputation, self-esteem, earnings and earning capacity, and he charges infringement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA).
Chevannes seeks compensatory and punitive damages, front and back pay, pre-judgment interest, attorney fees and court costs. He is represented by attorneys James A. Bell IV and Christopher A. Macey Jr. of Bell & Bell in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 2:15-cv-04152-SD.