Cynthia Vences has filed a disability discrimination complaint against CEVA Freight, LLC, doing business as CEVA Logistics. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on May 23, 2024. Vences alleges that CEVA Logistics discriminated against her based on her disability, failed to accommodate her needs, harassed her due to her condition, and retaliated against her for engaging in protected activities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to the court documents, Cynthia Vences worked as a dispatcher for CEVA Logistics from May 2021 until her termination on November 6, 2023. Vences suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and an Anxiety Disorder stemming from a violent attack she experienced in early 2023. Her symptoms include anxiety attacks, panic attacks, difficulty breathing, trouble sleeping, a sense of impending doom, and trouble concentrating.
Vences claims that despite being able to perform her job duties with or without reasonable accommodations, she faced significant challenges when CEVA Logistics requested that she change her work schedule to night shifts from 9 PM to 12 AM starting August 1, 2023. Vences informed her supervisors Sam Larson and Danielle Pratt that working night shifts exacerbated her condition and requested a reasonable accommodation to remain on day shifts or switch to another non-night shift position. She reiterated this request during a meeting with Human Resources on October 19, 2023.
However, Vences asserts that CEVA Logistics did not engage in an interactive process to determine appropriate accommodations and denied her request. Instead of accommodating her needs or considering her application for an open ocean import position as an alternative role, the company terminated her employment on November 6, citing her inability to work night shifts as the reason.
The complaint further details how Vences faced harassment from supervisor Sam Larson during this period. Larson allegedly attacked Vences' character and work ethic by making false allegations about her refusal to train other employees and claiming that other employees disliked working with her. Despite reporting these issues to HR, no adequate investigation or corrective action was taken.
In addition to alleging wrongful termination based on disability discrimination under the ADA (42 U.S.C. §12101 et seq.), Vences also accuses CEVA Logistics of failing to provide reasonable accommodations and engaging in disability-based harassment and retaliation. She seeks various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay, loss of benefits compensation for emotional distress and punitive damages.
Representing Cynthia Vences is attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while the case is identified under Case ID: 1:24-cv-04283.