In the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, plaintiff Jessica Phillips has filed a lawsuit against West Chicago Elementary School District 33. The case, numbered 24-3463, was filed on April 29, 2024. The lawsuit alleges discrimination based on sexual orientation and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Phillips, represented by her attorney, claims that she received a letter of reprimand from the school district's human resources office on March 17, 2023. This was due to an alleged inappropriate text and in-person conversation with her direct supervisor, Dr. Hannah Christie. Phillips refutes these allegations and argues that they are based on assumptions about her sexual orientation. On March 20, 2023, she was transferred from the middle school to a preschool position.
The plaintiff is seeking a jury trial and is demanding that she be returned to her original school and have the letter of reprimand removed from her file. She alleges that the district treated lesbian employees more harshly than straight employees under similar circumstances in violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act.