Complaint describes heat assignments, offensive supervisor remarks, and unanswered ethics calls
A lawsuit filed last week against DHL Express alleges years of racial discrimination and retaliation at its Dallas-Fort Worth operations, with HR repeatedly ignoring employee complaints.
Eight workers at DHL's airport and warehouse facilities filed the case November 14 in federal court in Texas, claiming the company fostered a hostile work environment where minority employees faced harsher treatment than their White colleagues.
The allegations describe a workplace where supervisors allegedly yelled racial insults, assigned Black and Hispanic employees to dangerous outdoor work in triple-digit heat while White workers played cards inside, and punished employees for taking legally protected medical leave.
Six of the plaintiffs are Black or Hispanic men who say they endured the discrimination firsthand. Two White employees joined the case, saying they were retaliated against for speaking up on behalf of their coworkers.
One incident stands out: On September 9, 2024, a supervisor allegedly called two employees "used wet condoms" after they came in from working in the rain. Both men reported it through the company ethics hotline and directly to the HR director. Despite security cameras that allegedly captured the incident, DHL sent them identical letters on October 21 saying it "could not verify the unprofessional conduct."
That response reflects a pattern described throughout the filing. Ronald Soto, who worked at DHL for over a decade, says he emailed the HR director detailed complaints titled "Discrimination" in September 2023. When those went unanswered, he called the company ethics hotline seven or eight times. The HR director eventually confronted him in what Soto describes as a "demeaning and condescending manner" for using the reporting system, according to the complaint.
The allegations touch nearly every major compliance issue HR departments face. Several employees say they were disciplined or terminated after taking family medical leave for conditions including asthma and gout. One worker claims he injured his back in April 2023 lifting a package weighing approximately 146 pounds, nearly double the company's stated limit of 72 to 75 pounds, then faced three simultaneous write-ups within two weeks of filing for workers compensation.
The filing describes what it calls disparate discipline practices. White employees who made mistakes allegedly faced no consequences, while minority workers were written up for minor infractions. One employee says he was terminated for leaving his security badge at home, a mistake that did not result in discipline for White colleagues.
During summer 2023, supervisors allegedly assigned Hispanic worker Ronald Soto to outdoor projects in heat reaching 113 degrees while two White employees spent two to three hours daily in the air-conditioned break room playing cards. When Soto complained to management on August 4, 2023, he received a write-up for "unprofessional behavior."
The employees are seeking compensation for lost wages and emotional distress, along with court orders requiring DHL to overhaul its policies and practices. The case involves claims under civil rights law, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and Texas workers compensation statutes.
DHL has not yet filed a response in court. The allegations remain unproven at this early stage of litigation.
