Lone Star College faces race discrimination accusation

A former Lone Star College employee is accusing the North Harris campus of race discrimination.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in the Southern District of Texas, Shelvie Hardin – who said he is the only black maintenance technician in Lone Star College’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration department – said coworkers asked him to pick up trash piles they created as a way to demean him

Afterward, he said, management harassed witnesses and transferred them away from the campus, which increased his workload.

“Had plaintiff not been black, he would not have been singled out, subjected to a hostile work environment, disparate treatment or terminated based on his race,” the lawsuit reads.

He sued Stephen Head, the Lone Star College System’s chancellor, seeking back pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, relief and attorneys’ fees.

Hardin’s allegations stem from a July 10 exchange in which an independent contractor, who is white, told him to pick up trash from a pile that he himself created “as a means to degrade plaintiff based on the fact that he is black.” Two other white employees were present.

Later, other employees asked if he had picked up the trash, he said in the suit.

A Lone Star College representative did not respond to written questions Monday afternoon.

Lindsay Ellis writes about higher education for the Chronicle. You can follow her on Twitter and send her tips at lindsay.ellis@chron.com.