In the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, Esmaeil Riahi has filed a lawsuit against Ruiz Food Products, Inc. The case, identified as 1:24-cv-03499, was filed on April 30, 2024. Riahi is represented by Favaro & Gorman, Ltd., and alleges that Ruiz Food Products unlawfully terminated his employment after he reported food safety concerns to the USDA.
Riahi, an Illinois citizen with over thirty years of experience in the food industry and a doctorate in food sciences, was hired as Director of Quality Assurance by Ruiz Food Products in February 2022. He claims that shortly after his hiring, he identified listeria and ecoli presence in products shipped to market from Ruiz's North Carolina manufacturing facility.
Despite presenting recommendations for remedying these safety concerns to his supervisor Gina Flores, Riahi alleges that she reacted with irritation and launched an unfounded investigation into his expense reports and employee relationships. After Riahi contacted the USDA to report these concerns, he was terminated without just cause in June 2022.
Riahi is seeking damages for loss of income in the form of lost wages and benefits as well as anguish and emotional distress caused by his termination. He accuses Ruiz Food Products of common law retaliatory discharge and violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act.