A civil suit filed Monday against a Weslaco produce and farming business alleges the owners underpaid an employee of 12 years, denied him pay stubs and failed to maintain proper payroll records in violation of state and federal laws.
Javier Segovia Mendiola worked for Hartley’s Produce and B&H Farms, both owned by father and son Kenneth and Keven Hartley, from 2010 until 2022 when he was fired, according to the suit filed by Alexandra Vail Kohnert-Yount, an attorney for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid.
During that time, Segovia lived in a small house on the Hartley’s Weslaco ranch property, performing several agricultural and residential duties while receiving what amounted to an hourly wage of $3 to $5 per hour, the suit alleged.
Kenneth Hartley did not answer calls seeking comment.
As an employee, Segovia irrigated fields, laid irrigation pipes, weeded, harvested, packed and stored crops, and grew, cut and bundled grass or hay for animal feed.
Segovia also performed routine landscaping, mowed the lawn, fed and cared for pens of cattle, chickens and peacocks, and cleared debris from driveways, the basketball court and the swimming pool around the homes of the defendants, the lawsuit claimed.
After hunting outings, Segovia also removed shell casings and cleaned bird carcasses.
Although he worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. through noon on Saturdays, Segovia was on call 24 hours a day and worked overtime “every or nearly every workweek throughout...
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