A former employee has filed a lawsuit against her previous employer, alleging severe workplace discrimination and retaliation. Ruby Maskey filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on June 12, 2024, against Clarity Clinic, PLLC.
According to the complaint, Maskey began working for Clarity Clinic in February 2021 as a digital marketing manager. She alleges that from April or May of 2021 onwards, she was subjected to repeated harassment and discriminatory treatment based on her national origin—Maskey is an Australian citizen. The allegations include frequent mockery of her accent by senior staff members such as the COO and HR Manager, who insisted she should find it amusing despite her clear discomfort. This mocking continued until January 2023 when a new COO replaced the previous one.
Maskey also claims that she was paid less than her American counterparts despite having equal or greater experience and consistently meeting performance expectations. The CEO allegedly engaged in verbal abuse towards Maskey starting in May 2022, which included shouting at her during meetings and making derogatory comments about her work. For instance, during a summer meeting in 2023, the CEO demanded she stand up to prove she could read a slide during a presentation. Additionally, when Maskey explained lower bookings due to the July 4th holiday, the CEO accused her of "making up bullshit lies and excuses."
The complaint details further incidents where Maskey was excluded from essential meetings and social functions beginning December 2022. These exclusions made it challenging for her to perform her job effectively while still being held accountable for project completions. By August 2023, Maskey was assigned labor-intensive tasks with unreasonably short deadlines.
On September 18, 2023, after submitting a formal complaint about harassment and discrimination to HR, Maskey experienced immediate retaliation. She was asked to move out of her office that same day and excluded from important department-wide meetings critical to her role. Subsequently, on September 20, she was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) without specific examples of how her work did not meet expectations.
Despite these challenges, Maskey continued working until October 5, 2023, when she was terminated under the pretext that her position was being eliminated—a claim contradicted by the subsequent posting of a new position involving many of the same duties she performed.
Maskey is seeking actual damages exceeding $100,000 for lost salary and employment benefits along with compensatory and punitive damages amounting to $300,000. She also requests attorney’s fees and other appropriate relief deemed suitable by the court.
Representing Ruby Maskey is Arthur R. Ehrlich from Goldman & Ehrlich Law Offices. The case is identified as Case No.: 24-cv-4872 in front of Judge [Name].