In a compelling legal battle that underscores the ongoing issues of workplace safety and age discrimination, Dudley Venable has filed a lawsuit against DCOR, LLC. The complaint was submitted to the Superior Court of California in Ventura County on February 21, 2025. Venable accuses his former employer, DCOR, LLC, of retaliation, age discrimination, failure to ensure a safe workplace, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, and violations of the Unfair Competition Law.
The case details a troubling narrative where Venable claims he faced numerous unsafe working conditions and illegal directives during his tenure at DCOR. According to the complaint, Venable began working with DCOR as a consultant in October 2020 and was later hired full-time due to his exceptional performance. However, following a change in company leadership in February 2022 with younger supervisors taking charge, Venable alleges that he was pressured into prioritizing cost-cutting over safety compliance. He recounts being instructed to dispose of waste fluids illegally and being demoted for refusing to comply with such directives. "The Company routinely pressured Plaintiff to take actions in violation of state and federal law," states the complaint.
Venable's allegations also highlight systemic issues within DCOR regarding employee treatment and safety standards. He describes how employees were forced to sleep on galley floors or desks due to inadequate sleeping arrangements provided by the company. Despite raising these concerns repeatedly with management, Venable claims they were largely ignored or dismissed.
The plaintiff argues that his age played a significant role in his treatment at DCOR. At 57 years old when he started at the company, Venable believes he was one of the oldest workers there and faced discrimination because of it. His lawsuit asserts that after reporting safety violations and refusing unlawful orders from superiors much younger than him, he was demoted under false pretenses before ultimately being terminated on June 1, 2022.
Venable seeks several forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages for emotional distress and loss of earnings caused by what he views as retaliatory actions from DCOR. Additionally, he requests punitive damages intended to punish the defendant for their alleged misconduct along with an injunction preventing further unlawful practices by them under California’s Unfair Competition Law.
Representing Dudley Venable are attorneys Cecilia N. Brennan and Rebecca Rojas from HKM Employment Attorneys LLP. The case is presided over by judges at the Superior Court of California in Ventura County under Case No. 2025 CUT O3907 4.