A man says he was wrongfully terminated after being falsely accused of drug abuse.
Michael Preston filed his federal lawsuit against Hutchens Industries Inc.
According to the complaint, Preston initially was employed by Hutchens Industries before November 2020 and was terminated that same month on suspicion of drug use. Despite these allegations, he says no drug tests were conducted to confirm the suspicions.
Preston reapplied for work at Hutchens Industries in November 2022 and was allowed to tour the company's facilities in March 2023 as part of his application process, according to the complaint.. During this walkthrough, he says an employee accused him of being under the influence. Again, he says no drug tests were administered to validate these claims.
Preston insists he was not using drugs at either time of accusation and believes he was refused re-employment based on wrongful perceptions of drug addiction or usage. He filed a charge of discrimination with the MCHR and EEOC in April 2023 and received a Notice of Right to Sue from the EEOC in October 2023.
He seeks damages, costs, attorney fees and other relief.