Black-Owned Forklift Training Business Sues Workforce Board Over Student Limits
All-Star Training owner Reginald Carrick claims workforce board discriminates by capping federal grant usage at Jackson facility while Memphis location operates without limits.
JACKSON, TENNESSEE — A Black-owned West Tennessee forklift training business has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the regional workforce development board, alleging the organization has unfairly capped the number of students who can use federal grant funds for training at the Jackson location.
Reginald Carrick, owner of All-Star Training, LLC, filed the lawsuit on March 23 against the workforce board responsible for distributing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds in the region. The suit claims discriminatory practices that limit access to federally funded training at his Jackson facility.
Business Expansion Met With Restrictions
Carrick established All-Star Training in Memphis in 2016, providing forklift certification training to students. His business operates as an Eligible Training Provider, certified to teach students using federal WIOA funds designed to help people facing employment barriers develop job skills.
The federal program serves veterans, individuals with disabilities, at-risk youth, low-earning adults, and laid-off workers. Nine regional labor boards appointed by local government officials distribute these federal funds throughout Tennessee.
According to the lawsuit, Carrick operated his Memphis location within the Greater Memphis Workforce Development Area without any enrollment caps for students using WIOA funding. The Greater Memphis region covers Fayette, Lauderdale, Shelby, and Tipton counties.
Jackson Location Faces Different Treatment
Carrick opened his second training facility in Jackson in 2023, extending services to students in Haywood, Madison, Henderson, Chester, Decatur, Hardeman, McNairy, and Hardin counties. However, unlike his Memphis operation, the Jackson location allegedly faces restrictions on federal funding usage.
“I expanded here to help the community,” Carrick said in an interview, explaining his motivation for bringing training opportunities to the Jackson area.
The lawsuit contends that the workforce board has implemented discriminatory policies specifically targeting the Jackson location, creating unequal access to federal training funds compared to the treatment received at his Memphis facility.
Federal Training Program Structure
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provides federal funding to help individuals overcome employment obstacles through skills training for in-demand jobs. The program operates through regional workforce development boards that evaluate and approve training providers.
All-Star Training’s certification as an Eligible Training Provider demonstrates the business meets federal standards for workforce development programming. The designation allows students to use federal grants to cover training costs at approved facilities.
The case highlights ongoing challenges faced by minority-owned businesses in accessing equal treatment within federal workforce development systems. The lawsuit seeks to remove alleged discriminatory caps and ensure equal access to federal training funds across both All-Star Training locations.
