A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major fast-food chain, alleging sexual harassment, discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation, and retaliation. Deshon D. Rogers filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 16, 2024, naming Omakin Restaurants, LLC d/b/a McDonald’s as the defendant.
According to the court documents, Rogers was employed as a crew member from June 20, 2024, to July 14, 2024. The complaint alleges that Rogers faced ongoing discrimination and harassment after disclosing his sexual orientation to management upon hiring. Specific incidents cited include verbal abuse by a shift leader named Arionna who allegedly referred to Rogers using derogatory terms such as "faggot" and made comments about him wanting to be like a woman. On one occasion, Arionna reportedly berated Rogers for cleaning too much and denied him breaks under false pretenses.
The situation escalated when Rogers reported these incidents to General Manager Dontaray Smith-Davis via text message. Instead of addressing the complaints, Arionna allegedly retaliated by making further discriminatory remarks while on the phone with Smith-Davis. Despite assurances from management that the issue would be addressed in a meeting scheduled for July 14, 2024, Rogers was terminated during this meeting under the pretext of being on a probationary period.
Rogers claims that his termination was not only unjust but also a direct result of his complaints about discrimination and harassment. He argues that he met or exceeded performance expectations during his employment and that there is sufficient basis for employer liability due to failure in developing and implementing adequate sexual harassment policies.
In seeking redress from the court, Rogers is asking for back pay and benefits with interest, front pay and benefits, compensatory damages for emotional pain and suffering, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, injunctive relief to prevent future occurrences of such behavior at McDonald's locations operated by Omakin Restaurants LLC., punitive damages, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
The case is being handled by attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while details regarding defense attorneys are currently unspecified. The case ID is 1:24-cv-07358.