A St. Croix man has filed a new civil lawsuit accusing refinery contractor National Industrial Services of firing him without explanation after three years of what he describes as strong performance, then spreading false allegations that blacklisted him in the refinery industry and cost him a second job. The complaint alleges that race, color and national origin discrimination were behind the company’s actions and claims the treatment was part of a broader pattern that favored non-local and non-Black employees.
According to the lawsuit, Elisha Mondesir worked for NIS from 2017 until his termination in 2020. During that time, the complaint says, he “never received any negative performance evaluations or disciplinary warnings.” Instead, the filing states that he “received performance-based bonuses and earned compensation for his effective management and technical oversight.”
The suit says Mondesir held multiple positions during his three years with the company, including supervisor, superintendent, and co-ordinator, reflecting what the complaint presents as a senior role within the workforce.
His employment ended in December 2020, when NIS “abruptly terminated” him “without providing any formal written or verbal explanation,” according to the complaint. The lawsuit says emails sent to the company and to refinery management seeking answers were ignored.
Mondesir alleges that he later learned through third parties that he had been fired over accusations of theft or unauthorized competition. The complaint describes those allegations as false and defamatory. It also names witnesses who, according to the filing, can testify to the truth of the matter.
A central claim in the lawsuit is that Mondesir was replaced by someone with “similar or lesser qualifications.” His firing and replacement, the complaint argues, “reflects a discriminatory pattern whereby NIS systematically favored non-local and non-Black employees for advancement and protection, while disadvantaging long-standing Black West Indian workers.”
The lawsuit further alleges that the impact of his dismissal did not end with his termination from NIS. After securing work with another contractor at the same refinery, the complaint says Mondesir’s badge access was revoked because of defamatory communications from NIS.
“After securing employment with a different contractor at the same refinery, Plaintiff’s badge access was revoked following NIS’s defamatory communications,” the lawsuit claims. “The defamatory allegations by NIS directly caused Plaintiff to lose that second job,” despite there being “no violations in Plaintiff’s record,” the complaint argues.
According to the filing, the damage remains ongoing. Mondesir says he “continues to earn substantially less and has been prevented from working in supervisory or high-level refinery positions.”
The lawsuit alleges discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin, wrongful discharge, retaliation, and breach of good faith and fair dealing. Mondesir is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, damages for reputational harm, back pay, interest, fees and costs.
As of press time, NIS had not filed a legal response to the allegations.
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