A group of former workers has accused a major freight transportation company of engaging in illegal race-based discrimination and retaliatory practices that led to their terminations. The complaint was filed by Issam Choukair, Michael Steadman, Naitram Persaud, and Walter Vanegas in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on March 13, 2026, naming XPO Logistics Freight, Inc. as the defendant.
According to the court filing, all four plaintiffs are former employees who worked as Driver Sales Representatives at XPO’s Lawrenceville (also referred to as Norcross), Georgia facility. The lawsuit alleges violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, back pay or front pay in lieu of reinstatement, compensatory and punitive damages, nominal damages, attorney’s fees, and other costs.
The plaintiffs state that they are members of protected classes: Mr. Choukair and Mr. Steadman are African-American; Mr. Vanegas is Hispanic; Mr. Persaud is Asian. Each claims to have had an excellent work record prior to their terminations in November 2024. For example, Mr. Steadman worked for more than eighteen years without disciplinary write-ups or negative evaluations; Mr. Choukair consistently exceeded performance goals over six years; Mr. Vanegas had more than fifteen years with good evaluations; Mr. Persaud was recognized for efficiency after transferring to Line Haul operations.
The dispute centers on time-tracking procedures for long-distance drivers (Line Haul) at the Lawrenceville facility. Drivers were required to use two separate systems: one mandated by Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations using an app called Samsara to track driving hours for safety compliance; another system tracked paid hours via company Pay Forms. Plaintiffs allege that no formal training was provided on how to properly use these dual systems when they transferred from local City Operations to Line Haul positions.
Instead, new drivers learned from senior colleagues that it was standard practice to delay starting DOT logs until dispatch paperwork was ready—sometimes up to two hours after arriving at work—to avoid running out of allowable driving hours before completing assigned routes. This practice was reportedly widespread among all approximately twenty-six line haul drivers at the facility and known by management.
The complaint states that in October 2024 Jamey Porter, identified as a white male HR representative with significant authority over personnel decisions at the Lawrenceville terminal, initiated an audit focusing on discrepancies between DOT logs and Pay Forms. According to plaintiffs, although both white and non-white drivers engaged in similar time-tracking practices, only non-white drivers were subjected to hostile interviews and subsequent termination proceedings.
The document describes interviews conducted after long shifts as “hostile and accusatory.” It recounts that when confronted about their logging practices—which they claim were universal—plaintiffs were told by management not to discuss other drivers’ conduct but only their own cases.
Plaintiffs further allege that several white drivers with comparable or greater log discrepancies received only verbal warnings rather than termination following the audit process: “None of the white drivers who engaged in the same conduct as Plaintiffs have been terminated.”
Beyond termination issues related directly to time-logging practices, the lawsuit outlines additional incidents said to contribute to a racially hostile work environment at XPO’s Lawrenceville facility. These include alleged racial slurs from coworkers directed toward Black or foreign-born employees; lack of disciplinary action following reported harassment incidents involving white employees; discriminatory assignment of less desirable work duties despite seniority; and dismissive responses from supervisors when complaints about unfair treatment were raised.
For example, one incident described occurred in February 2024 when plaintiff Choukair reported being verbally abused with profanity by a white coworker in front of a supervisor but saw no corrective action taken against the aggressor despite reporting through official channels including an ethics hotline.
Retaliation claims are also central in this case: each plaintiff asserts they engaged in protected activity by complaining about discrimination or unfair practices either internally or through official reporting mechanisms—and shortly thereafter faced adverse employment actions such as termination or constructive discharge.
The complaint requests multiple forms of relief from the court: issuance of summonses; service upon XPO Logistics Freight; declaratory judgment recognizing unlawful employment practices under Section 1981; permanent injunction against future violations; full back pay with interest; reinstatement or front pay for lost future wages if reinstatement is not possible; compensatory damages for emotional distress and inconvenience; punitive damages intended as deterrence; reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; post-judgment interest; nominal damages; and any further relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorney J. Stephen Mixon (GA Bar No. 514050) of The Mixon Law Firm based in Atlanta. The case is identified as Civil Action File No.: 1:26-cv-01404-TWT-AWH.
Source: 126cv01404_Issamm_Choukair_v_XPO_Logistics_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georiga.pdf
