Kelvin Hicks alleges he was fired for reporting discrimination after years of being passed over for promotions and unequal treatment.

PARIS, Texas, Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelvin Hicks, a respected educator and community leader, filed a lawsuit in Lamar County District Court against his former employer, Paris Junior College (PJC), alleging race discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Texas Labor Code.

According to the lawsuit, Hicks served as Program Coordinator for PJC's Upward Bound program, and was one of the only Black employees on staff. Throughout his tenure, he was consistently denied advancement opportunities in favor of less qualified White colleagues, despite holding a master's degree, teaching experience, and years of leadership within the program. 

Hicks alleges that in June 2024, PJC used a fabricated student complaint as pretext to terminate Hicks without investigation. 

"Kelvin Hicks is the kind of person every school should be lucky to have. He cared deeply about his students, and they adored him." said Ellen Johnston, Hicks' attorney. "Paris Junior College used a lie they didn't even bother to investigate, all because he had the courage to call out racism. That's not just wrong. It's straight up illegal. We can't let that slide."

The lawsuit alleges that PJC violated the Texas Labor Code by subjecting Hicks to disparate treatment, denying him promotions, and retaliating against him for reporting race discrimination. Hicks seeks monetary damages for lost wages, emotional distress, and reputational harm, as well as injunctive relief to prevent further violations.

Hicks is represented by Texas employment lawyer Ellen Johnston of Rob Wiley, P.C., a Texas employment law firm.

The case is captioned Kelvin Hicks v. Paris Junior College, Cause No. 93583, Texas State District Court, Lamar County, Texas.

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SOURCE Rob Wiley, P.C.