A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a landscaping company, alleging racial discrimination and harassment. Shawndell King filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 21, 2024, accusing Mariani Enterprises, LLC d/b/a Mariani Landscape of creating a hostile work environment and retaliating against him for reporting discriminatory behavior.
The lawsuit details King's employment with Mariani Enterprises from March 1, 2024, to May 15, 2024. During this period, King claims he was subjected to racial slurs and derogatory comments by his supervisor Carl Reese. King alleges that despite his requests for Reese to stop using offensive language, the harassment continued unabated. "Every time he called me, he would say, 'What's up my nigger,' changing the tone of his voice and trying to sound funny," King recounted in his complaint. He further stated that Reese's behavior escalated into anger and hostility whenever King made mistakes at work.
King's attempts to address these issues internally were met with resistance and further harassment. On one occasion in April 2024, when King sought help from Reese while driving and couldn't hear clearly over the phone, Reese became combative and suggested that King resign if he was unhappy. The situation deteriorated further when Reese continued to use racial slurs during their interactions. Despite bringing these concerns to the attention of another manager named Tim during a meeting on May 16, 2024, no effective action was taken to address or stop the harassment.
The complaint also outlines how King's working conditions became intolerable due to constant fear of job loss and continuous pressure from Reese after reporting the incidents. This led King to resign on May 16, 2024. "It was evident that Carl’s racial harassment would not stop," King stated in his resignation letter.
King is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress and humiliation caused by the discriminatory treatment. He also seeks equitable relief such as reinstatement or front pay along with reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.
Representing Shawndell King is attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while Mariani Enterprises has yet to respond publicly to these allegations. The case is being overseen by Judge Amrith Kaur Aakre under Case ID: 1:24-cv-07556.