A former employee has taken legal action against a prominent auto parts manufacturer, alleging severe racial discrimination and harassment. Joshua James filed a complaint against Brake Parts Inc, LLC in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on July 11, 2024.
James, who worked as a forklift operator for Brake Parts Inc from June 2022 until January 2, 2024, claims that he was subjected to racially discriminatory practices and a hostile work environment. According to the complaint, James faced differential treatment compared to his non-African American colleagues starting in early 2023. He reported several instances of racial harassment to the company's Human Resources department but alleges that these complaints were not taken seriously. One such incident involved an African American employee being called "little body bitch" by a Hispanic colleague, which HR representative Vanessa Vasquez dismissed as "childish." Another disturbing episode occurred when an employee named Ms. Perez referred to an African American worker as a "little monkey," yet no substantial action was taken by HR.
James contends that he was also personally targeted. Despite being promised retention of his team lead position following a site transfer in December 2023, he found himself relegated to manual labor while other team leads were assigned desk jobs. The situation culminated on January 2, 2024, when James was given an ultimatum: accept a demotion with reduced pay or resign. Feeling cornered and recognizing the racial undertones of his treatment—being the only African American among five hundred employees—James chose resignation.
The lawsuit cites violations of multiple federal statutes including Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title VII of the same act. James asserts that Brake Parts Inc engaged in systemic race discrimination and failed to protect him from race-based harassment despite numerous complaints. The plaintiff is seeking back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Joshua James is attorney Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while details about Brake Parts Inc's legal representation are not specified in the document. The case is presided over under Case ID: 3:24-cv-50290.