Plaintiff Jeannine Kirby has filed a lawsuit against Gasaway Distributors Inc. in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, under Case No. 24-cv-3999 on May 15, 2024. The suit alleges wrongful termination and discrimination based on sex under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Illinois Human Rights Act.
Kirby, represented by Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd., began her employment as a truck driver for Gasaway Distributors Inc. on April 16, 2020. She was the only female truck driver at the company and claims she was assigned undesirable tasks and equipment. On February 21, 2020, she was directed to operate a truck with defective tires which subsequently got damaged during an assignment. Following this incident, Kirby alleges that she was unfairly reprimanded and threatened with termination unless she paid for the damages.
Kirby seeks general damages for emotional distress, special damages, attorneys' fees, punitive and exemplary damages, and other costs incurred from the suit. She claims that similarly situated male employees were not subjected to such treatment or threats of termination under similar circumstances.