Man sues Virgin Islands Energy Office over deferred job offer

A man has filed a lawsuit against the Virgin Islands Energy Office and its director, Kyle Fleming, alleging that a job offer was deferred after he had already sold his household belongings and relocated in preparation for the role.

According to court records, Carlson Swafford was offered the position of Distributed Energy Technologies Program Director on June 17, 2025, and accepted the next day. The job was to be performed in person on St. Croix and came with what the lawsuit describes as an attractive salary and benefits package.

Swafford and his wife began preparing to move from Vermont. They completed onboarding documents by June 30 and declined to renew her employer-provided medical insurance, planning to rely on coverage from his new job. In early July, after VIEO confirmed receipt of his paperwork, Swafford liquidated his household furnishings through a yard sale and donated the remainder.

On July 30, Swafford spoke with Fleming for about 75 minutes to discuss starting the job remotely before relocating. The next day, Swafford and his wife terminated their Vermont apartment lease and moved to a relative's house in Tennessee.

On August 24, one day before his scheduled August 25 start date. Swafford received an email from Fleming stating that his role was "deferred." The lawsuit says Swafford had by then spent over two months unable to pursue other employment opportunities. He claims the deferral caused him severe anxiety, physical symptoms including nausea and stress headaches, and a credit score drop of more than 100 points.

Swafford sent a demand letter on October 2. Fleming responded about a week later with what the lawsuit characterizes as a settlement offer that was not made in good faith. The response also stated that VIEO had considered alternate employment for Swafford but changed their minds after receiving his demand letter, conduct the lawsuit describes as retaliation for his protected right to petition the government.

Swafford is suing Fleming in both his individual and official capacities, claiming promissory estoppel, negligent misrepresentation, and seeking at least $100,000 in damages plus litigation costs. As of the time the lawsuit was reported, Fleming had not filed a response.