In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Candice Collier has filed a lawsuit against Watermark Retirement Communities, LLC. The case, identified as 1:24-cv-03469, was filed on April 30th, 2024 and alleges sex-based harassment, discrimination based on sex, and retaliation for engaging in protected activity under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The plaintiff, represented by an unnamed counsel, claims that she was subjected to different terms and conditions of employment than others not within her protected class. She worked for the defendant as a Regional Human Resources Director from June 2022 through October 17, 2023. During this period, she alleges that she was subjected to a hostile work environment due to her sex.
Moreover, Collier highlights several disturbing incidents involving the Executive Director Richard Berner who allegedly engaged in sexual harassment towards female employees. One such incident occurred in March 2023 which led to an employee leaving her position. Another incident involved a Lead Concierge on July 11, 2023.
Collier is seeking redress under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for the alleged sex-based harassment and discrimination. She is also seeking compensation for retaliatory actions taken against her after reporting these incidents to Human Resources.