By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Keith Busch, Warsaw, a former employee of Patrick Industries Inc., doing business as AIA Countertops, South Huntington Street, Syracuse, has filed a complaint against his former employer for discrimination. He has also filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The filing with the EEOC was June 30, 2021, and the notice of right to sue, allowing a complaint to be filed within 90 days, is dated Dec. 16, 2021. Busch, through his attorney Christopher C. Myers, Fort Wayne, filed the civil tort claim in Kosciusko Circuit Court March 16.

The complaint alleges Busch, an African-American/black individual was subjected to racial discrimination and racial harassment while employed at AIA Countertops. He claims his rights were violated because of his race and color and he was called a derogatory name on at least three occasions and after complaining about racial harassment. Shortly after he was terminated out of retaliation for objecting to and opposing racial mistreatment and complaining about a racially hostile work environment.

Additionally he is alleging he was terminated and retaliated against for suffering a workers compensation accident Feb. 26, 2021, when he hit his right index finger in a saw. He requested and obtained workers compensation benefits, including payment for his medical care. However, within three weeks, while still undergoing medical care for his work-related injury, he was terminated March 16, allegedly out of retaliation for getting hurt on the job and requesting his statutorily-protectedwWorkers compensation benefits.

The complaint states he was damaged, injured and suffered from a loss of job and job-related benefits including income, emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, financial distress, inconvenience and other damages and injuries.

Busch is requesting a trial by jury and a judgement for compensatory damages, punitive damages, back pay, front pay other pecuniary damages, attorney feels and costs.