A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a well-known automotive company, alleging severe gender-identity harassment and discrimination. Jennifer "Jay" Krauss lodged the complaint against TG Wheeling LLC, doing business as Tasca Automotive, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 16, 2024.
Krauss's lawsuit accuses Tasca Automotive of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by subjecting her to persistent gender-identity harassment and discrimination. The complaint details numerous incidents where Krauss, a female-to-male transgender individual, faced derogatory comments and was treated differently than other employees. According to Krauss, these actions created a hostile work environment that ultimately led to her wrongful termination.
The narrative begins with Krauss's employment at Tasca Automotive starting on September 23, 2021. She alleges that from June 28, 2022, through May 14, 2024, she was subjected to various forms of harassment and discrimination due to her gender identity. One particularly egregious incident occurred on June 28, 2022, when Mark Horker made an inappropriate comment about Krauss to his son: "after you're done with the chick with a penis come back I need something else." Despite reporting this incident to Human Resources (HR), no action was taken because of Horker's financial value to the company.
Feeling increasingly isolated after HR relocated in July 2022, Krauss finally disclosed her transgender identity to HR on June 16, 2023. Initially met with positive responses from HR regarding her request to use he/his pronouns and be called Jay, things took a turn for the worse soon after. On June 27, 2023, Horker made a racist remark in the workplace which further demonstrated his disregard for inclusivity when confronted by Krauss.
Krauss's sense of isolation was exacerbated by ongoing political discussions in the workplace despite her objections. In September 2023, she requested a raise but was told it would be delayed until the new year. A coworker later invaded her personal space without justification by grabbing her close to her buttocks under the pretense of moving her out of the way.
Despite meeting or exceeding performance expectations and being qualified for a raise in January 2024, Krauss was denied again under false pretenses that she was earning well over her role. Matters escalated when she was offered a transfer to a distant department without assurances regarding its temporary nature or compensation for travel on May 1, 2024. Frustrated and feeling isolated again, Krauss vented on social media on May 8 about feeling pushed out by her employer.
The situation culminated on May 14 during a meeting with HR intended to finalize her transfer terms in writing. To Krauss's shock and dismay, HR began mis-gendering her and addressing her by her dead name before terminating her employment under the guise of social media activity violations.
Krauss is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay and benefits with interest; front pay; compensatory damages for emotional pain and suffering; pre-judgment and post-judgment interest; injunctive relief; punitive damages; reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; along with any other relief deemed just and equitable by the court.
The case is represented by Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while Judge Amrith Kaur Aakre presides over it under Case ID: 1:24-cv-07369.
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