PITTSBURGH -- A former employee of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. is suing the company for allegations of racial discrimination and retaliation against him.
Paul Karlheim filed a lawsuit on April 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., citing violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania Human Rights Act.
According to the complaint, Karlheim is a caucasian male with a black/biracial son who worked for the defendant since 2011 as a pickup and delivery driver. In March 2015, the plaintiff claims his coworker made a racist joke in front of him, which he reported to his superior. The plaintiff avers that after the incident, his coworkers began to treat him differently and in a maliciously discriminatory manner.
The plaintiff was reportedly terminated on Oct. 30, 2015, in alleged retaliation for his complaints about racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
Karlheim seeks loss of wages in excess of $25,000, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, legal fees, pre-judgment and continuing interest, and court costs. He is represented by Sean L. Ruppert of Kraemer Manes & Associates LLC in Pittsburgh, Pa.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Case number 3:16-cv-00079-KRG