A recent lawsuit claims that Shell USA has allegedly removed all white employees from its corporate security team in Houston.
Filed in the Southern District of Texas, the lawsuit includes Kevin Taylor and Michelle Lomack, a white Gulf War veteran, who assert they were dismissed earlier this year despite each having over ten years of experience with the company.
They are suing both Shell and Wayne Hunt, the local security manager, claiming they were subjected to discriminatory restructuring under the mandates of DEI, thereby violating civil rights laws.
Shell has not responded to any requests for comment regarding the matter.
In January, Hunt announced a planned restructuring that required all white security team members to reapply for their positions. The lawsuit specifies that non-white employees were not required to go through this process.
Hunt informed Taylor that he must reapply because “other people expressed interest,” and that the company was endeavoring to “diversify its talent.”
The lawsuit alleges that higher-ranking security roles were awarded to Hispanic women with administrative backgrounds and black men lacking security experience.
Furthermore, it was noted that a Hispanic contractor, previously dismissed for underperformance, was reinstated in the team along with Hispanic women who lacked US citizenship, according to the complaint.
When it later came to light that one of these women was ineligible for citizenship, she was promoted to a senior position in Shell’s Mexican branch, according to the claims.
The lawsuit asserts that Shell is engaging in illegal racial quotas regarding employment and promotions, despite measures aimed at dismantling the DEI program.
The company claims on its website that it is “working to become one of the most diverse and inclusive organizations in the world.”
They highlight a Global Council for Race comprised of senior executives aiming to enhance diversity within the workforce, allegedly to better reflect the communities they serve.
Taylor has since lost his role and was relocated to the East Coast, while the lawsuit contends that both Lomack and Thomas Hutt, another white US veteran with 15 years at Shell, were terminated.
Hunt’s actions appear to mock the dismissals of Lomack and Hutt, as suggested by the lawsuit.
The legal action describes the situation as evidence of “merciless, intentional, and unfair conduct.”
It also mentions that individuals who were promoted had “objectively weak qualifications,” and at least one person has approached Taylor for assistance in finding new employment.
Taylor’s position in Houston was filled by Anachevez, a Hispanic woman, and he moved to the role of security advisor in the Eastern Region.
However, he has been asked to perform tasks relevant to Cheves, which involves protecting the CEO, despite it being well known that she wasn’t capable of handling those responsibilities, according to the lawsuit.
He was then assigned a secondary role in the Western Region, which went to Hector Elazo, a Hispanic contractor, as stated in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that Hunt, who supervised both Taylor and Lomack prior to their dismissals, asserted that he was more deserving than Elazo, who had a contract ending in 2024 with a history of poor performance.
Elazo has reportedly sought Taylor’s guidance since taking on the role in August, claiming he has yet to complete a security assessment or plan for executive protection.
This post was unable to contact Chevez or Elazo for comments.
“What our clients have experienced should concern all Americans,” stated Juli Haller, the attorney representing Taylor and Lomack, in a statement.
“If a company can openly discriminate against its employees due to their skin color, no one’s rights are secure.”
Taylor and Lomack are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
