In a compelling legal battle, a former employee has taken a significant step by filing a lawsuit against her previous employer, alleging severe misconduct and retaliation. Roshani Sheth filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on June 18, 2024, accusing the National Association of Realtors of various discriminatory practices and subsequent retaliatory actions.
According to the complaint, Sheth began her tenure with the National Association of Realtors on May 27, 2014, as a Product Manager. However, her employment was abruptly terminated on October 2, 2019. Sheth claims that her termination was not only discriminatory but also retaliatory in nature following her internal complaints about discrimination to Senior Vice President Donna Gland, Talent Director Linda Russell of Human Resources, and Chief Legal Counsel Katie Johnson. The plaintiff asserts that she consistently met or exceeded performance expectations during her employment.
The allegations detailed in the court documents are serious and multifaceted. Sheth contends that she faced discrimination based on sex and national origin throughout her employment. This included instances of sexual harassment, unequal terms and conditions of employment, and failure to promote. After making internal complaints about these issues on June 18, 2019, Sheth alleges that she was terminated as an act of retaliation just a few months later.
Sheth's formal complaints led to a settlement agreement executed on December 19, 2019. Despite this agreement meant to resolve her discrimination complaints amicably, Sheth accuses the National Association of Realtors of continuing their retaliatory behavior post-settlement. These acts allegedly included refusing to provide neutral references to prospective employers, cyberstalking by employees encouraged by the defendant organization, and sending harassing texts with messages such as "kill yourself" and "rat."
As a result of these alleged actions by the National Association of Realtors, Sheth claims to have suffered emotional distress and mental anguish along with significant financial losses due to delayed or lost employment opportunities. In response to these grievances, Sheth is seeking substantial relief from the court: actual damages exceeding $200,000; punitive damages amounting to $300,000; compensatory damages also at $300,000; attorney’s fees and costs; along with any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Additionally, Sheth brings forth claims under both federal law (42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq.) and state law (Illinois Human Rights Act), asserting similar grounds for retaliation under each statute. Furthermore, she alleges breach of contract concerning the settlement agreement where she argues that the defendant failed to provide agreed-upon neutral references which further harmed her career prospects.
The case is presided over by Judge Mary M. Rowland with Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman also involved in proceedings under Case ID: 1:24-cv-05061.