A former employee has filed a lawsuit against her previous employers, alleging severe discrimination and harassment based on race and gender identity. Dionice Moss lodged the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 9, 2024, targeting Menasha Packaging Company, LLC and Elite Labor Services, LTD d/b/a Elite Staffing.
Moss's complaint outlines a series of discriminatory actions she faced during her brief employment from April 29, 2024, to May 23, 2024. Hired through Elite Staffing to work at Menasha Packaging Company (MPC), Moss claims she was subjected to a hostile work environment marked by derogatory comments about her race and gender identity. Specifically, she alleges that her supervisor at MPC, Marco (last name unknown), made offensive remarks such as "Look at her double standard, being transgender and black." Despite reporting these incidents to Human Resources on May 16, 2024, no remedial action was taken. Furthermore, Jesus (last name unknown), an On-Site Recruiter from Elite Staffing, allegedly supported Marco's comments and laughed about them.
The situation escalated when Moss was sent home early on multiple occasions under the pretext of an excess number of employees on the production line. She was eventually terminated on May 23, 2024, purportedly due to performance issues—a claim Moss disputes by stating she had never received any coaching or disciplinary actions regarding her performance. Moss believes her termination was a direct result of her complaints about discrimination and harassment.
In her lawsuit, Moss accuses both companies of violating several laws including Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She asserts that she experienced sex-based and race-based discrimination and harassment as well as retaliation for reporting these issues. The complaint highlights how both companies failed to address her concerns adequately or take necessary precautions to prevent further discriminatory behavior.
Moss is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay, 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 attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while specific details about the defendants' legal representation are not provided in the document. The case ID is 1:24-cv-08180.