A man who was fired after his employer saw a news story about his arrest on charges of disseminating child pornography using the Telegram mobile app has filed suit against his former employer, Jones Lang LaSalle, saying they improperly terminated his job because he had not been convicted of any crime.
Plaintiff Norris N. Stauffer filed suit against the company alleging wrongful termination.
The lawsuit was filed Feb. 13 in Cook County Circuit Court. Stauffer is represented in the action by attorney Lindsay Dreis, of S.T. Legal Group, of Deerfield.
Stauffer claims Jones Lang LaSalle dismissed him from his role as Transformation Project Manager after a news article published in the Chicago Sun-Times revealed his arrest in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation into child pornography.
Stauffer, who had previously worked for Jones Lang LaSalle as an independent contractor before being hired as an employee in October 2022, disclosed his arrest during the hiring process. The company reportedly conducted a background check on him and found that he "met company standards". However, following the publication of the article on Feb. 2, 2023, Stauffer was terminated from his employment the next day.
Stauffer argues that his termination was unjust and violated the Illinois Human Rights Act because he had only been charged with a crime, and had not been tried or convicted.
Stauffer is seeking damages of more than $50,000 for loss of wages and benefits since his termination, humiliation and emotional distress damages, attorneys' fees and costs.