Whistle-Blower Complaint Filed Against Crawfish Processor

An OSHA whistle-blower complaint has been filed on behalf of two migrant workers from Mexico against an Acadiana based crawfish processing company. The workers' complaint claims the pair was fired by Acadia Processors LLC after they were diagnosed with COVID-19.

The complaint details claims by the women that the company did not implement guidelines suggested by the CDC or the state in their workplace. The complaint suggests that the company did not offer workers protective equipment nor did they implement a social distancing policy in the workplace.

Officials with the company as well some other employees have rebuked those statements. In their response, they say that as soon as a COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed the plant was shut down and employees were moved off the property to quarantine.

Two current employees of the facility spoke with KATC reporter Katie Easter about the complaint. Those employees told Easter in a report filed on the TV station website that they were offered protective equipment and each employee's temperature was taken before they were allowed to begin working for the day.

Scott Broussard, the owner of Acadia Processors told the TV station that the women were never fired. However, they did refuse to move into more isolated housing that was made available at Chicot State Park. Broussard suggested that the women's refusal to move to that location left the company no choice but to report them to immigration authorities.

Based on the KATC report it appears as if Acadia Processors followed all COVID-19 guidelines laid out by the Louisiana Department of Health. The whistle-blower complaint is currently being reviewed by OSHA.