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Former Custodian Alleges Discrimination by School District

COOK COUNTY RECORD

Monday, November 25, 2024

Former Custodian Alleges Discrimination by School District

Federal Court
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A former custodian has filed a lawsuit against a school district, alleging severe discrimination and harassment based on her sex and national origin. Patricia Galvez filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on June 27, 2024, accusing Wood Dale School District 7 of violating multiple civil rights laws.

Patricia Galvez, who worked as a custodian for Wood Dale School District 7 from July 25, 2014, until her termination on October 14, 2023, claims she faced ongoing discrimination and harassment from her manager Gustavo Gonzales starting in 2015. According to the complaint, Gonzales subjected Galvez to derogatory comments such as "this job is for men" and "Columbian women don’t stay quiet," reflecting his bias against her sex and national origin. Despite lodging numerous complaints about this treatment to both management and the superintendent over several years, Galvez alleges that no meaningful action was taken to address or investigate her grievances.

The lawsuit details how Galvez was often given incorrect supplies and uniforms and was subjected to excessive checklists not required of other custodians. She also claims that after she complained about the discrimination in January 2021, she faced retaliation including being restricted from using a stool to clean lower parts of walls—forcing her to work on her knees—and being assigned larger areas to clean compared to her male counterparts. The situation reportedly escalated when Gonzales began sending misleading complaints about her performance from teachers who later confirmed they had never made such complaints.

Galvez's legal action seeks redress under various provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including Title VII and Section 1981. She accuses Wood Dale School District 7 of subjecting her to national origin-based harassment, sex-based harassment, discrimination based on national origin and sex, and retaliation for engaging in protected activities. The plaintiff argues that these actions have caused significant emotional distress and financial loss due to wrongful termination.

In terms of relief sought from the court, Galvez is asking for back pay with interest, front pay with benefits, compensatory damages for emotional pain and suffering, punitive damages, injunctive relief against further discriminatory practices by the defendant, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs associated with bringing this action.

The case is being handled by attorneys Nathan C. Volheim (IL Bar No.: 6302103) and Sophia K. Steere (KY Bar No.: 100481) from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while the Case ID is: 1:24-cv-05389.

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