Erick Knight, a former employee of Charter Communications, LLC, has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging multiple violations of employment law. The complaint was filed on April 4, 2025, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara. Knight accuses Charter Communications, operating under the brand Spectrum, of various infractions including failure to provide meal and rest breaks, non-payment of wages and overtime, discrimination based on race, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
Knight's allegations span from July 2019 to December 2021 during his tenure as a Field Technician and later as a Maintenance Technician II at Spectrum. He claims that despite performing his duties satisfactorily, he faced racial discrimination as the only African American in his department. According to Knight, after he passed an exam in October 2020 qualifying him for a transfer within the company, his new supervisor Mitchell Rodriguez began discriminatory practices against him. These included denying him raises he was entitled to under company policy and assigning him work locations far from his home while non-African American colleagues were given closer assignments.
Knight further alleges that when he raised concerns about these issues with management, instead of receiving support or resolution, he was met with retaliation. This included baseless write-ups and exclusion from clocking in time spent retrieving work equipment—actions which deprived him of significant income. His complaints about this treatment were ignored by the company's upper management according to Knight's lawsuit.
The complaint details how Knight endured a hostile work environment where necessary tools were withheld from him and he was unfairly disciplined compared to his peers. He asserts that these actions were part of a broader culture at Spectrum that tolerated discrimination and failed to take corrective action even when notified.
In seeking justice through the court system, Knight is requesting damages for lost earnings and benefits due to wrongful termination among other grievances. He also seeks punitive damages for what he describes as malicious conduct by Charter Communications intended to harm him financially and emotionally.
Representing Erick Knight are attorneys Rick Martin (SBN 320403), Ji-Su Park (SBN 343008), and Alex Federick (SBN 359460) from Angel City Law PC based in Los Angeles. The case is being reviewed under Case No.: 25CV462744 by Judge Y. Chavez at the Superior Court of California for Santa Clara County.