On May 20, 2024, Debra Lewis filed a civil rights complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against her former employer, Meijer, Inc. The complaint alleges race-based discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The plaintiff, Debra Lewis, who resides in Kane County, Illinois, worked as an overnight stacker for Meijer from August 17, 2016, until her termination on January 11, 2024. According to the complaint filed by her attorney Travis P. Lampert of Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., Lewis claims she was subjected to continuous racial harassment by a coworker named Donna. The alleged harassment included derogatory remarks such as referring to African American women as "colored ladies" and calling black squirrels "Negro squirrels."
Lewis reported this behavior to her team lead Ryan on January 4, 2024. Subsequently, she was contacted by Teja from Human Resources (HR) and asked to provide a written statement detailing the incidents. Despite complying with this request, Lewis was terminated just days later. The lawsuit asserts that Meijer failed to conduct an adequate investigation into her complaints and instead retaliated against her by terminating her employment.
The complaint highlights that Lewis met or exceeded performance expectations throughout her tenure at Meijer and had an exemplary discipline record. It argues that the reasons given for her termination were pretextual and aimed at masking unlawful discrimination and retaliation. Furthermore, it claims that similarly situated employees outside of Lewis's protected class were treated more favorably regarding discipline and attendance policies.
Lewis is seeking several forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay and benefits, compensatory and punitive damages, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:24-cv-04111 with a jury trial demanded. The presiding judge is yet to be named.