In The News
I do lots of humanitarian and pro bono work. One of the more interesting international humanitarian cases I have worked on recently involves Norway’s Child Protective Services, known in Norway as Barnevernet. I have worked on it since mid-November 2015 when Barnevernet seized the five (5) children of tender age of a Christian family in South-West Norway. I am still working on the case. On April 18, 2016 US publication The Federalist featured my case. You can read about it here.
Some of my cases have been reported in the national and local media, for instance in the New York Times and the Houston Chronicle.
In 2012 I filed the lawsuit of Kenan Alexander v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in federal court in Beaumont, Texas. The case was featured in an article published by The Atlantic Magazine on June 19, 2015: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/segregation-2015/396167/
“Suit alleges history of racial discrimination at Goodyear”
by Marilyn Tennissen, The Southeast Texas Record, June 12, 2012
A worker’s recent lawsuit against Goodyear describes an alleged history of racism at the company’s Beaumont rubber plant.
Kenan Alexander filed suit against Qualitech Maintenance Inc. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. on June 7 in the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division.
He claims that in May 2011 he found a figurine of a black man eating a watermelon hanging by a noose in his company locker.
“However, the incident to which Plaintiff was subjected on May 31, 2011, was not an isolated incident at the plant,” Alexander’s lawsuit, filed by Houston attorney Peter Costea, states. “Defendants were aware all along that the plant was a hazardous work place for African-Americans but failed to take effective remedial action to ensure racist incidents of a crass nature would not happen again.”
Read the full article
“Houston Firefighter Sues Department for Third Time”
by Cindy George, Houston Chronicle, June 11, 2012
A veteran Houston firefighter who has won two bias lawsuits against the city struck again last week, filing a complaint that alleges age discrimination, race discrimination and unlawful retaliation.
Charles Julian, 69, claims he intentionally was given low performance evaluations to foil his goal of becoming Houston’s first black fire chief. He was hired by the Houston Fire Department in 1968 and worked up the ranks to become a district chief in 1984.
Since 1989, he’s been unsuccessfully applying for higher-level positions.
“He keeps on complaining and filing lawsuits and winning and then they keep on demoting him and denying him jobs,” Julian’s lawyer, Peter Costea, said. “Since 1984, he hasn’t been able to break that glass ceiling. When you see other guys who have less experience, less knowledge and less years being promoted, that leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.”
“Tesco accused of failing to protect Cy-Fair employee from harassment”
by Glenna Herald, Ultimate Cy-Fair, November 14, 2011
A woman is suing Tesco, her former employer, over claims the company retaliated against her for reporting racial harassment at its Cy-Fair location.
Mia Stewart filed a lawsuit on Nov. 11 in Harris County District Court against Tesco Corp., with an office in Cy-Fair, citing employment discrimination, racial harassment and retaliation. […]
Stewart is seeking damages, attorney’s fees and court costs. She is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Peter Costea.
“Firefighter wins suit against HFD over demotion”
by Cindy George, Houston Chronicle, January 23, 2008
“Mr. Julian was more qualified than the other individuals, so we filed a second lawsuit in 2006,” said his lawyer, Peter Costea. “Retaliation does indeed happen and, based upon my experience, I think that retaliation is probably more prevalent than outright discrimination.”
Pamela Jones v. Kellogg Brown & Root: A sexual harassment case arising out of events occurring in Iraq and Kuwait and arbitrated in 2007. The case was featured, along with others, in a New York Times article on February 13, 2008, by James Risen “Limbo for US Women Reporting Iraq Assaults.”