A former executive chef has filed a lawsuit against his previous employer, alleging severe discrimination and harassment. Paul Morris filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 11, 2024, against The Admiral at The Lake.
Morris's lawsuit is rooted in claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He asserts that The Admiral at The Lake discriminated against him based on his disability, failed to accommodate his medical condition, subjected him to disability-based harassment, and retaliated against him for engaging in protected activities under the ADA. Additionally, Morris accuses the defendant of sex-based discrimination and harassment, further claiming retaliation under Title VII.
According to the complaint, Morris was hired as an Executive Chef by The Admiral at The Lake on May 8, 2023. His duties included overseeing kitchen operations and ensuring compliance with health standards. Morris suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that substantially limits major life activities. Despite his ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations, he alleges that since August 2023 through June 12, 2024, he faced different terms and conditions of employment compared to others outside his protected class.
The situation escalated after Morris sustained a work-related injury in April 2024. He requested reasonable accommodations for his condition but was misled into applying for FMLA leave despite being ineligible due to insufficient tenure. Instead of engaging in an interactive process to determine suitable accommodations, the defendant charged his absence to PTO and provided no further support.
Morris also reported ongoing sexual harassment from his director, Mary Beth Lutjen. Beginning around January 2024, Lutjen allegedly made inappropriate sexual comments during their weekly meetings. One such instance involved Lutjen making a comment about Morris's penis size after joking about a former coworker's size. This behavior continued with Lutjen frequently making sexually charged remarks and homophobic comments about other employees.
Despite reporting these incidents to Human Resources Generalist Antonio Dawkins in April 2024, no corrective action was taken. Instead, Morris faced retaliation; he was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) shortly after reporting the harassment and requesting accommodations—a move he believes was punitive rather than corrective.
The complaint details how this hostile environment culminated in Morris's termination on June 12, 2024. He contends that this decision was based on unlawful discrimination due to his disability and sex as well as retaliation for reporting harassment and discrimination.
In seeking redress from the court, Morris requests back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, loss of benefits compensation, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Paul Morris is attorney Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while presiding over the case is Judge Amrith Kaur Aakre under Case ID: 1:24-cv-08265.