A former warehouse operations manager alleges that he was subjected to discrimination and ultimately terminated by his employer after exemplary job performance, according to a federal lawsuit recently filed in Houston. The complaint, submitted by Randy Gillar on March 13, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, names Global Agri Trade Corporation as the defendant.
The filing outlines that Gillar was hired by Global Agri Trade Corporation in September 2023 to oversee the retrofit of a newly acquired warehouse facility in Houston. According to the complaint, Gillar successfully led this project through several operational challenges—including severe weather events—and continued managing day-to-day operations after the facility opened in January 2024. The document states that under his leadership, the warehouse achieved GMP+ Stage 2 certification on its first attempt with only one minor deficiency noted. It further reports that Gillar received praise from both an external auditor and a private consultant retained by the company. In recognition of his work, he was awarded a raise and year-end bonus.
Despite these achievements, Gillar claims he became the target of discriminatory conduct based on his age and sexual orientation. The complaint alleges that in February 2025, Marc Kashiwagi—a corporate employee—questioned Gillar about his age, cognitive health, and family history of dementia without legitimate business reason. “The nature and context of these inquiries reflected overt bias against Plaintiff based on his age and perceived disability,” states the filing. Shortly after this alleged interrogation by Kashiwagi, Gillar’s employment was terminated.
In addition to age-related concerns, Gillar asserts he faced ongoing homophobic harassment from two subordinate employees identified as Daniel Amaya and David Torres. According to court documents, these individuals made repeated derogatory comments regarding Gillar’s sexual orientation—such as “let the gay man pick out the office décor”—and implied incompetence based on stereotypes. The complaint says these remarks were made openly at work and created a hostile environment.
Gillar further alleges that when he documented attendance violations by Torres and recommended potential termination for him, Torres retaliated by making false complaints about Gillar to corporate leadership. Rather than investigating these allegations or addressing reported harassment by Amaya and Torres, management allegedly credited their accounts instead of protecting Gillar.
On March 19, 2025, Global Agri Trade Corporation terminated Gillar’s employment without prior warning or progressive discipline. Afterward, according to the lawsuit, the company opposed his claim for unemployment benefits using what are described as four pretextual reasons: an isolated driver dispute from February 2024; alleged inventory issues despite documented high accuracy rates; improper storage of personal property which had previously been permitted during emergencies; and failure to inspire confidence among subordinates—an assertion said to be based solely on complaints from Amaya and Torres.
The suit contends that each stated reason for termination was advanced “in bad faith to conceal the true discriminatory motivations behind the decision.” It also suggests timing played a role: “the timing of Plaintiff’s termination was also motivated by Defendant’s desire to avoid payment of a discretionary bonus scheduled for April 2025.”
Gillar brings multiple causes of action under federal law—including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (for sexual orientation discrimination), hostile work environment claims related to sexual orientation harassment, violations under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), state law claims under Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code (for both age and sexual orientation discrimination), as well as retaliation claims under both federal and state statutes.
He seeks compensatory damages covering past and future lost wages—including an April 2025 bonus—compensatory damages for mental anguish and emotional distress, liquidated damages under ADEA provisions due to alleged willful violation by Global Agri Trade Corporation, punitive damages under Title VII for what is described as malicious disregard for protected rights, attorneys’ fees and costs incurred through litigation, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest at maximum legal rates, reinstatement or front pay if appropriate relief is granted by the court,
and any other relief deemed just.
The case identifies Kathryn Yukevich of Carter Law Group PC as attorney for Randy Gillar. The matter is proceeding under Civil Action No. 4:26-cv-02043.
Source: 426cv02043_Randy_Gillar_v_Global_Agri_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas.pdf
