T’bonne housing authority sued over harassment charges

A complaint of sexual harassment last year, which resulted in the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority’s director being ordered to training for appropriate behavior in the workplace, was the tip of an abusive iceberg, papers filed last week in federal court state.

And now the director, Wayne Thibodeaux, finds himself again accused of inappropriate behavior, this time leveled by the agency’s former manager, and fiancé of the initial complainant.

The suit names only the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority, and does not name Thibodeaux individually, although the unlawful actions were allegedly performed by the director.

Thibodeaux, the complaint alleges, unlawfully fired housing manager Troy Johnson, out of retaliation.  According to the complaint, the threats were made because of resentment that Johnson had assisted his fiancee in making her complaint, and encouraged her to do so. Johnson was also additionally harassed, the complaint says.

“(Johnson) began receiving unfounded disciplinary notices from Mr. Thibodeaux alleging multiple violations of HTHA policies … manufactured by Mr. Thibodeaux in retaliation for petitioner’s protected activity,” the court papers read. “Mr. Thibodeaux directly threatened petitioner in front of the HTHA board that he would terminate petitioner’s employment with HTHA if he ever reported him to the Board again or appeared in front of the Board again to express his concerns.”

When asked for comment, attorneys for the HTHA and Thibodeaux himself said service of the papers, which were filed in US District Court in New Orleans, had not yet been made and so no response could be made immediately.

According to the suit, Johnson filed a grievance on July 27 with the board regarding the sexual harassment complaint of the woman identified as his fiancée, Tyrikia Porter. 

“Ms. Porter complained that Mr. Thibodeaux was making unwanted sexual advances to her. That Porter and Johnson were engaged, the complaint states, was well known to Thibodeaux.

On Oct. 12, after another dustup with Thibodeaux concerning Johnson’s testifying in a deposition concerning an unrelated suit against the director, a letter of termination was issued.

The letter, according to the federal court complaint, alleged that Johnson had sent Thibodeaux a message containing a Biblical passage.

Further information on the context of the passage or the content of the message was not immediately available, and is not contained in the suit.

The action was filed by Baton Rouge attorneys Jill Craft and Crystal LeFleur. A court date has not yet been set.