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COOK COUNTY RECORD

Monday, November 4, 2024

Former Employee Alleges Racial Discrimination by Global Shipping Giant

Federal Court
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A former long-term employee has filed a lawsuit against a major global corporation, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation that culminated in his wrongful termination. Craig Smith lodged the complaint against FedEx Corporation and FedEx Express in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 18, 2024.

Smith, who had been employed by FedEx since 1985 and served as an Operations Manager for the last 26 years of his tenure, claims he was unlawfully terminated in December 2022 due to his race and for opposing discriminatory practices. The lawsuit outlines multiple instances where Smith faced racially motivated hostility from his supervisor, Sandra Braxton, who allegedly harbored discriminatory views towards him and other employees. According to Smith, Braxton's conduct included making explicitly racist comments, subjecting him to racial stereotypes, assigning him extra work not given to white counterparts, and impeding his ability to perform his job effectively.

The court filing details how Braxton began retaliating against Smith after he opposed her treatment of a white female employee dating a black man. This opposition reportedly led to false accusations against Smith and unwarranted disciplinary actions. Over time, Braxton's actions created a hostile work environment that escalated into issuing three sham disciplinary warnings within a year—each aimed at orchestrating Smith’s termination.

Smith contends that despite reporting these issues to higher management and human resources, FedEx failed to address his concerns adequately or conduct proper investigations. Instead, the company dismissed his complaints as unfounded and allowed the discriminatory behavior to persist. This neglect ultimately resulted in Smith's termination on December 27, 2022.

The plaintiff is seeking several forms of relief from the court: a declaration that FedEx’s actions violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended by the Civil Rights Act of 1991), Section 1981 of Title 42 U.S.C., and the Illinois Human Rights Act; compensation for lost wages and benefits; reinstatement with appropriate promotions and seniority; compensatory damages; punitive damages; prejudgment interest; attorneys’ fees; costs; disbursements; and any other relief deemed just by the court.

Representing Craig Smith are attorneys Erika Pedersen and Jill Weinstein from Pedersen & Weinstein LLP. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:24-cv-08583.

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