In a gripping legal battle that highlights the ongoing issues of workplace discrimination, Carzell Aguirre has filed a complaint against Midway Building Services, Ltd. The lawsuit was filed on June 27, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by Aguirre, who alleges severe national origin and race-based discrimination and harassment by his employer.
Aguirre's complaint outlines a series of disturbing events that began when he started working for Midway Building Services as a floor technician, maintenance technician, and project cleaner. Despite being initially thrilled about joining the company—describing it as a "dream come true"—his enthusiasm quickly turned to dismay. On his first day at work on July 10, 2023, Aguirre encountered discriminatory behavior from one of the supervisors named Angie. According to Aguirre, Angie communicated with him exclusively in Spanish despite knowing he did not speak the language. This created an environment where he felt isolated and unable to perform his job effectively.
The complaint states that Angie's actions were not only discriminatory but also humiliating. She allegedly asked Aguirre in English if he had any experience because he couldn't speak Spanish. Following this interaction, Aguirre was removed from the work schedule under the pretext of ineffectiveness and eventually terminated on the same day. His attempts to address these issues with Midway Building Services went unanswered, leaving him feeling abandoned.
Aguirre believes that his termination was solely based on his inability to speak Spanish and his non-Hispanic ethnicity. He claims that among all new hires during that period, he was the only non-Hispanic employee, which exacerbated his sense of isolation and disparate treatment. The lawsuit asserts that Aguirre met or exceeded performance expectations during his employment but was still unlawfully terminated due to racial and national origin discrimination.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court. These include back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Aguirre is Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no specific defense attorneys are mentioned in the document. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:24-cv-05420.