He missed out on Chevron promotions & pay hikes because he is Black, Coast mechanic says
A Black employee at the Chevron Pascagoula refinery says he’s spent decades as a mechanic, training white employees who went on to management jobs that he was denied because of the color of his skin.
Tommy Harness, of Moss Point, says in the lawsuit filed against Chevron USA Inc. in U.S. District Court in Gulfport that he started working at the refinery in 1982. He said that he graduated from Alcorn State University in 1973 with a degree in science and vocational agriculture. His lawsuit says that he is one of the longest-tenured employees at the refinery.
Harness, the lawsuit says, has “more responsibility than most managers and supervisors at Chevron Pascagoula.” But he has been in the position of refinery mechanic since 1988. He said that he has watched the promotion of less experienced and educated white employees to management positions with better pay.
“These positions are mostly available to white employees,” he said.
His lawsuit also describes an atmosphere where Black employees are labeled based on skin color. Black employees were assumed to be Democrats, his lawsuit says.
“To antagonize them, Chevron’s managers would frequently use disdainful rhetoric in conference rooms and common areas when referring to ‘liberals,’ “ the lawsuit says. “They also hung disturbing posters on the wall as subtle slights used to intimidate, harass and exclude black employees from participating at work in a meaningful way.”
Chevron Pascagoula responds to lawsuit
Harness, who filed his lawsuit in August 2023, is still working at the refinery, according to his attorney, Keith French of Jackson. The lawsuit says that Chevron supervisors and managers kept asking Harness, “in a commanding tone,” when he planned to retire.
Chevron denies any wrongdoing in its written response to the lawsuit.
Another document filed in the case indicates Chevron’s human resources department advised Harness that he should move to other positions so that he could gain more experience that would qualify him for supervisory positions.
Harness filed a complaint ahead of his lawsuit, as required, with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleged a violation of the Civil Rights Act, and was notified that he had the right to sue.
Harness also alleges in the lawsuit that Chevron has retaliated against him for complaining to human resources about the alleged racial discrimination.
Harness is asking for unspecified compensation, including back pay, punitive damages, court costs and attorneys’ fees. He also wants the court to order that Chevron take “affirmative steps” to remedy past discrimination.
