A former employee has filed a lawsuit against two companies, alleging racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Joseph Haynes filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 30, 2024, naming Peopleshare Industrial, LLC and Troy Design and Manufacturing Co. as defendants.
Joseph Haynes, an African American man, worked as a production associate from November 29, 2022, until March 22, 2024. He was hired by Peopleshare Industrial and assigned to work at Troy Design and Manufacturing (TDM). According to the complaint, Haynes experienced different terms and conditions of employment compared to his non-African American colleagues starting from November 2023. Haynes alleges that he was subjected to a hostile work environment based on race and that both companies failed to take remedial measures despite his complaints.
Haynes initially reported experiencing racial discrimination to his supervisor at Peopleshare, Earnest Wells, in November 2023. He noted that Hispanic employees received more favorable treatment than African American employees. This included double standards in disciplinary actions where African American employees were penalized for actions that went unpunished for Hispanic employees. Despite these reports, no action was taken to address his concerns.
The situation escalated when Haynes approached Martha (last name unknown), a main supervisor at TDM, on March 21, 2024. He detailed the racially segregated work environment and cited favoritism towards Hispanic employees. The following day, he was informed by Earnest Wells that TDM had ended his assignment and terminated his employment—a move Haynes believes was retaliatory for opposing racial discrimination.
In addition to these allegations of discriminatory practices and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Haynes also claims that TDM had previously demoted an African American supervisor—further evidence of systemic racism within the company.
Haynes is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
The case is being handled by Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., representing Joseph Haynes. The EEOC's dismissal notices were signed by Amrith Kaur Aakre on August 23, 2024. The case ID is 1:24-cv-07923.