A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a real estate group, alleging racial discrimination and harassment during her tenure. Kendra Guzman lodged the complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on November 19, 2025, targeting Caldwell Watson Real Estate Group as the defendant.
Kendra Guzman, an African-American woman with extensive experience in property management and accounting, claims she endured years of racial discrimination and harassment while working at Caldwell Watson Real Estate Group. According to Guzman, her ordeal began shortly after joining the company in November 2015. She alleges that a white colleague made a racially offensive remark about naming her unborn child “Kunta Kinte,” referencing an enslaved character from Roots. Despite reporting this incident to human resources and her supervisor, no action was taken against the offender.
Guzman’s complaint outlines numerous instances of disparate treatment compared to her white colleagues. She asserts that while white employees were granted flexible work schedules and accommodations, her requests were consistently denied. In one instance, despite being six months pregnant, she was assigned physically demanding tasks without support. Additionally, Guzman recounts being falsely accused of misplacing a check that was later found on another employee’s desk. Her personnel file was allegedly padded with fabricated allegations while white employees faced no repercussions for actual errors.
The lawsuit also highlights how Guzman was passed over for promotions despite having superior qualifications and experience compared to those who were promoted. For example, when she applied for an Accounts Payable position she had been performing effectively for nearly a year, it was given to a less qualified white part-time accountant instead.
Guzman’s complaint details incidents of racial mockery at workplace events where she was singled out based on stereotypes and asked to perform dance moves. Furthermore, she describes invasive encounters where colleagues touched her hair without consent—an act she reported but claims went unaddressed by management.
In December 2023, after filing a formal complaint detailing these grievances with Human Resources, Guzman was terminated under what she believes were pretextual reasons citing that she “was no longer a good fit.” This termination came just eight days after her formal complaint and followed years of alleged escalating hostility in response to her reports of discrimination.
Guzman is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, punitive damages for emotional distress caused by the hostile work environment and retaliatory actions against her complaints. She also demands reasonable attorney fees along with other costs associated with bringing this action forward.
Representing Kendra Guzman are attorneys Kathryn Williams (Attorney-In-Charge), Helen Daniel, and Kaila Washington from Daniel Williams Associates PLLC located in Houston Texas. The case is presided over by an unnamed judge under Case ID: 25-5573.
Source: 425cv05573_Kendra_Guzman_v_Caldwell_Watson_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas.pdf
