Troy Hebert just won’t go away.
But in this case, he’s probably like to.
The former commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) is scheduled in U.S. District Court Monday as a federal racial discrimination LAWSUIT against him and ATC cranks up.
The lawsuit, to be tried before U.S. District Court Judge John W. DeGravelles, was filed by former ATC agent Charles M. Gilmore of Baton Rouge, Daimin T. McDowell of Bossier Parish, and Larry J. Hingle of Jefferson Parish.
The three claim that Hebert made working conditions so bad that employees had to take medical leave or were forced to resign. Each of the three filed separate complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and received “right to sue” notices.
LouisianaVoice first reported the filing of the lawsuit three years ago, in July 2014. https://louisianavoice.com/2014/07/14/forcing-grown-men-to-write-lines-overnight-transfers-other-bizarre-actions-by-troy-hebert-culminate-in-federal-lawsuit
The lawsuit says five African-American supervisors worked in the ATC Enforcement Division when Hebert, a former state senator from Jeanerette, was appointed by then-Gov. Bobby Jindal in November 2010. “By means of the manipulative actions by Troy Hebert…there are now no African-American supervisors within the ATC Enforcement Division,” the petition says.
Prior to Hebert’s appointment, the three “had unblemished records with no prior disciplinary actions,” the suit says. “Each…had been promoted to supervisory positions at ATC before Troy Hebert’s arrival.”
The suit says Hebert “deliberately acted in disregard of the plaintiffs’ clearly established rights to be free from racial discrimination, race-based harassment and retaliation.
Gilmore worked for 10 years as a corrections sergeant and Louisiana State Police trooper before joining ATC in 1998 where he worked his way up to Special Agent in Charge until he was “constructively discharged” by Hebert on Sept. 27, 2013, the lawsuit says.
“Constructive discharge” is when working conditions become so intolerable that an employee cannot stay in the position or accepts forced resignation.
McDowell was hired by ATC in 2005 and in his seven years was promoted three times. Hingle was hired in 1991. During his 21 years of employment, he was also promoted three times.
The lawsuit also alleges that on Aug. 22, 2012, two days after taking leave, Gilmore and McDowell were told by fellow agent Brette Tingle that Hebert intended to break up the “black trio” a reference to Gilmore, McDowell and Supervising Agent Bennie Walters. Walters was subsequently fired on Sept. 7.
Louisiana Voice 
Evenin’, Tom. Oooooh, this lil courtroom drama should be most entertaining. See ya’ll in court.
I interviewed in ATC in 2012 for a position that Troy Hebert had already given away, but felt compelled to bring 13 people to the office on Essen lane for a charade of an interview. The practice under Troy Hebert was to bring potential female employees back for a “lunch” meeting where his wife would come to meet and greet and decide for herself that you were “Conservative” enough for the position (not competition material). They didn’t care where you were coming from, it was a requirement. This man is a sad, sexist, sick racist who took his position and abused it to the extent that the work environment was referred to as “the plantation.” He emotional and verbally abused his staff, took pleasure pitting them against each other. He is very thrifty when it comes to covering his trail. He once brought in an agent, and asked her if she was recording a conversation all the while asked a staff member in the meeting to record the conversation. When staff members reported him to the Department of Revenue’s Inspector General office, they were made to feel as if they were disgruntled and their complaints were never investigated. Troy Hebert abused his position to the point where he would show up at work in his fishing gear or take his family on vacation and still getting paid for 8 hours a day. Ask him how much time he spent on duty while handcrafting his family’s home doing all the carpentry himself? But he got paid for being at work. He loved referring to African Americans as “them,” forgetting that they were the ones who voted for him the first time he ran. He loves to brag about how he didn’t have to get a college education to get where he is…well, at least he would have learned that what is done in darkness will come to light. Brett Tingle was the bane of his existence, because Brett stood up for the African American agents and against Troy Hebert. He made life a living hell for this family. I pray these agents get the justice they deserve in compensation, because they are surely suffering from PTSD after being emotionally and financially violated by this rat of a man.
This suit has been settled. Another great job by the plaintiffs and J. Arthur Smith.