A former employee at an Illinois state business regulatory agency says he was fired and blackballed after recommending one of the agency's top administrative law judges be investigated for racial discrimination.
Brad Karlin was hired as Senior Public Service Administrator with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in 2022, according to the suit, which was filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Nov. 3.
Karlin "performed his job to Defendant's legitimate satisfaction, as he never received any warnings about any deficiencies in his performance, attendance, or conduct during his employment."
According to the lawsuit, Karlin heard a complaint internally of alleged racial disparities by the chief administrative law judge, that "involved less favorable decisions to litigants of color versus decisions to white litigants," the suit said. He allegedly told the agency's Chief Counsel Dina Martin about the allegations.
"On December 9, 2022, two days after Plaintiff recommended to Martin that the discrimination allegations against the Chief ALJ be investigated, Plaintiff was forced to resign by Martin," the lawsuit claims. "As a direct and proximate result of Plaintiff's disclosures to Martin about the racial disparities in decisions by the IDFPR's Chief ALJ, he was forced to resign, which constitutes retaliation under the Ethics Act."
After the resignation, Martin allegedly also blocked Karlin's efforts to obtain a position at the Illinois Department of Public Health, the lawsuit alleges.
Both Martin and the IDFPR are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Karlin seeks reinstatement to his former job, back pay and attorney fees.
He is represented in the action by attorney Josh Friedman, of the Friedman Firm, of Chicago.