Former Employee Sues Silfab, Alleges Retaliation Over Safety Violations at York County Plant

A former employee has filed a lawsuit against solar panel manufacturer Silfab Solar, claiming he was wrongfully terminated after reporting safety violations at the company’s under-construction facility in Fort Mill.

Jason Rhodes, who worked as a quality control technician, alleges he was fired in retaliation for alerting both Silfab management and the Fort Mill Fire Marshal to serious safety concerns — including employees working inside the facility without an occupancy permit and machinery being assembled by unlicensed workers. The lawsuit was filed in York County Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday.

The complaint details that Silfab Solar is constructing a chemical manufacturing facility for solar panel and solar cell production at 7149 Logistics Lane in Fort Mill. Rhodes claims that on June 19, 2025, he informed Silfab’s director of operations that employees were working in the plant warehouse without an occupancy permit from York County, a fact the director allegedly acknowledged.

Subsequently, around June 23, 2025, Rhodes contacted the Senior Fire Marshall for Fort Mill Township, which led to an unannounced inspection, shutdown, and temporary stop-work orders issued against Silfab by York County. Rhodes’ employment was terminated on or about July 7, 2025.

The lawsuit brings forth four causes of action:

• Whistleblower: Rhodes asserts he was terminated in retaliation for reporting quality control and safety issues, including the lack of an occupancy permit, to his supervisors and the Fort Mill Senior Fire Marshall. He seeks actual, consequential, compensatory, and punitive damages.
• Retaliatory Discharge: This cause of action reiterates that Rhodes reported safety hazards and regulatory violations, including the unauthorized occupancy, to his supervisors and the fire marshall, and was subsequently terminated in retaliation. Rhodes is seeking actual, consequential, compensatory, and punitive damages.
• Wrongful Discharge: Rhodes alleges that his termination after reporting wrongdoing to management and public authorities violates a clear mandate of public policy, citing violations of zoning, county regulations, requiring employees to work without occupancy permits, and operating in a manner that endangers employees and the public. He also claims the facility is a heavy industrial chemical use site zoned for Light Industrial and is near residences and schools. Rhodes seeks actual, compensatory, consequential, and punitive damages, as well as attorney’s fees and costs.
• Violation of Unfair Trade Practices Act (S.C. Code Ann. §39-5-10, et seq): Rhodes contends that Silfab’s conduct is unfair and deceptive, citing repeated instances of requiring employees to work in the warehouse facility without an occupancy permit and operating chemical manufacturing processes without an operations permit. He alleges the retaliatory firing caused him damages and that Silfab’s actions were willful and knowing violations affecting public interest.

Rhodes is demanding a jury trial and seeks judgment for actual, consequential, and compensatory damages under all four causes of action, trebled damages under the SCUTPA, and attorney’s fees and costs. The lawsuit was filed by the Halford Law Firm.

Silfab, a Canadian-based solar panel producer, has faced community opposition since the project was approved in 2023. The York County site has drawn scrutiny from residents and public officials over concerns ranging from environmental safety to zoning compliance.

The construction site was temporarily shut down last month after an inspection found workers operating without the proper permits. That stop-work order was lifted shortly afterward.

Silfab has not publicly commented on the lawsuit as of Thursday morning.

Sources:

• Complaint filed by Jason Rhodes, York County Court of Common Pleas, July 29, 2025