BATON ROUGE — Three former employees of Performance Energy Services have filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were retaliated against after reporting the use of racial slurs by a supervisor while working offshore in Louisiana.
The complaint, filed June 15 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, was brought by Jarret Johnson, Tiyree Rubbins Sr. and Taylor Oubre under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
According to the lawsuit, Johnson, Rubbins and Oubre began working for Performance Energy Services in July 2023 in the company’s offshore construction department.
Johnson worked as a structural fitter, while Rubbins and Oubre worked as scaffold builders.
The plaintiffs allege that on or about Sept. 1, 2023, their direct supervisor, Shane Landry, repeatedly used a racial slur during a conversation in the bunkroom of an offshore vessel where crew members were living.
The complaint states that the three employees reported the incident to an on-site safety representative employed by a third-party company, who directed them to contact the company’s human resources department.
According to the lawsuit, Johnson and Rubbins provided written statements to human resources, while Oubre also contacted the department regarding the incident.
The plaintiffs allege that on Sept. 6, 2023, the same day their complaint was reported to company management, they were sent home from the offshore worksite.
The lawsuit contends that the supervisor accused of using the slur was not sent home and that a white co-worker also remained on the job.
The complaint further alleges that only the Black employees who reported the incident were removed from the worksite.
According to the filing, after being sent home, the plaintiffs stopped receiving work assignments.
The lawsuit alleges that despite repeated inquiries about available work, they were ignored or given explanations that work had slowed.
The complaint states that Rubbins later contacted company President Jon Boudreaux and Vice President Troy Granier through LinkedIn and that both executives responded, acknowledging awareness of the situation.
The plaintiffs allege that they briefly received work assignments afterward but were again excluded from work opportunities.
The lawsuit claims that before the alleged retaliation, the workers were averaging approximately 98 hours per week, including overtime.
Johnson and Rubbins allegedly earned $25 per hour, while Oubre earned $20 per hour.
The complaint estimates that Johnson and Rubbins each lost between approximately $35,000 and $50,000 in wages and that Oubre lost between approximately $15,000 and $25,000, with losses continuing.
The plaintiffs further allege that Performance Energy Services responded to the supervisor’s conduct by issuing only a written warning and requiring employment-law awareness training.
According to the complaint, the company did not suspend or terminate the supervisor. The lawsuit argues that this response, combined with the plaintiffs’ alleged removal from work assignments, demonstrates retaliation for reporting discriminatory conduct.
The complaint also alleges that conditions became so intolerable that the plaintiffs were effectively forced to leave their employment.
The lawsuit states that none of the three men remains employed by the company and claims they were constructively discharged in violation of federal law.
The men are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They are represented by Robert L. Campbell of Williamson, Campbell & Whittington LLC in Baton Rouge.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number: 2:26-cv-01283
