A former employee has filed a lawsuit against two companies, alleging a hostile work environment and retaliatory discharge. Janet Sabino Martinez filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 9, 2024, naming Onin Staffing, LLC and Element Food Solutions, LLC as defendants.
According to the complaint, Martinez, who is of Hispanic-Latino origin and resides in Chicago, Illinois, was employed by both defendants. Onin Staffing is a staffing agency that placed Martinez at Element Food Solutions' facility in Hodgkins, Illinois. Martinez alleges that she faced continuous harassment and discrimination during her employment. She claims that her supervisors frequently insulted her and other employees with derogatory comments. For instance, one supervisor allegedly stated: "These fucking stupid employees they don’t do a thing." Despite reporting these incidents to Human Resources, Martinez felt ignored and dismissed.
Martinez also recounts an incident in December 2022 when she reported a fight between two female coworkers to her supervisors. Instead of addressing the issue, her supervisors allegedly made bets on who would win the fight. In another instance in January 2023, she reported sexual harassment allegations made by another employee to both Onin and Element Food's supervisors. Shortly after making these reports, Martinez was terminated from her position on January 31, 2023.
The plaintiff asserts that her termination was a direct result of her complaints about the hostile work environment and sexual harassment incidents. She believes that this constitutes retaliatory discharge under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other related laws.
Martinez is seeking judgment in excess of $30,000 for each count against both defendants jointly and severally. She requests compensation for past lost wages and benefits with interest, compensatory damages for emotional distress caused by the hostile work environment, reinstatement or front pay if reinstatement is not possible, punitive damages where applicable, attorney’s fees and costs incurred during litigation.
The case is being handled by attorneys James M. Dore (ARDC# 6296265) and Daniel I. Schlade (ARDC No. 6273008) from Justicia Laboral LLC. The case ID is 1:24-cv-07050.