Dan Asher Owino, a dedicated employee, claims he was unjustly denied a promotion due to racial discrimination by his employer. On November 18, 2025, Owino filed a complaint against Chandler Concrete Co., Inc. in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, alleging violations of both federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
The case centers around Owino’s tenure as a driver for Chandler Concrete since June 2023. Despite excelling in his role and meeting all qualifications for a quality control position that promised higher pay and additional benefits, Owino asserts that he was systematically obstructed from securing the promotion due to his race and national origin. According to the complaint, Chandler Concrete’s management assured him of the promotion but then sabotaged his efforts by providing inadequate preparation time for a mandatory test—a privilege typically extended to white or U.S.-born employees.
Owino alleges that Chandler Concrete deliberately increased his workload to hinder his study time and provided voluminous study materials only 24 hours before the test date in January 2024. Consequently, he failed the test under these adverse conditions and was denied the promotion. Instead, the position went to a less senior white employee who had ample time to prepare.
In response to these events, Owino reported discriminatory practices internally without receiving any acknowledgment or action from Chandler Concrete’s Human Resources department. He subsequently filed complaints with both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Virginia’s Office of Civil Rights in August 2024. The EEOC issued a Determination and Notice of Rights on August 25, 2025, which prompted this lawsuit within the statutory period.
Owino seeks various forms of relief from the court including injunctive relief, compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress, punitive damages for willful discrimination, back pay, front pay, attorneys’ fees, and costs associated with litigation. His legal representation argues that Chandler Concrete acted with malice or reckless indifference towards Owino’s federally protected rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Virginia Human Rights Act.
Representing Dan Asher Owino is attorney Thomas E. Strelka from Virginia Employment Law based in Roanoke. The case is presided over by Judge Thomas T. Cullen under Case No.: 7:25-cv-830.
Source: 725cv00830_Owino_v_Chandler_Concrete_Co_Inc_Complaint_Western_District_Virginia.pdf
