A family livestock company claimed in the Western District of Louisiana on Thursday that Kinder Livestock Auction LLC has wrongfully not allowed them to participate in auctions and given preferential treatment to its competitors.
“Kinder Livestock prohibited Jacob from access to public livestock services based on third party attempts to eliminate competition and control price,” the complaint states. It claims not having access to the auction causes damage to the cattle company which depends on its ability to participate in Kinder Livestock’s services.
Benson Thompson, Jacob Thompson, and Jacob Thompson Cattle, LLC (JTC), represented by Gold Weems, filed the lawsuit claiming that Jacob was not allowed to purchase animals directly from the company or participate in auctions because his father owed a debt to Kinder Livestock.
Kinder Livestock is a company that operates a stockyard and holds auctions for livestock. It is located in Allen Parish, Louisiana. The plaintiffs began making purchases from Kinder Livestock in 2013, but Jacob and JTC were not allowed to come to auctions. Jacob sent Benson to auctions who would purchase animals for JTC. Jacob was also invited to purchase livestock from a previous day’s auction.
In May, Kinder Livestock told Jacob Thompson that he would no longer be able to purchase cattle indirectly because his competitors threatened to not come to auctions if he was participating. Kinder Livestock said in a text that it was “catching slack from everywhere (and) gonna have to pull out.” JTC claims that it is prohibited from attending and purchasing only because its competitors are trying to eliminate him as a competitor.
“Kinder Livestock has caved to the will of Plaintiffs’ business competitors under the pretext that Jacob lacks creditworthiness (even though he does not purchase on credit), and based on prior history with Jacob’s father that has nothing to do with Plaintiffs,” Jacob Thompson claimed.
Benson and his son have not been able to purchase livestock for themselves or for Jacob since the text message was sent. Kinder Livestock has also refused offers to prepay or to allow participation through a third party dealer. The plaintiffs asked for injunctive relief allowing them to participate and damages.
