A former administrative assistant has filed a lawsuit alleging race, color, and national origin-based discrimination and harassment by her employer. Beatrice Aponte lodged the complaint against The Oak Brook Club Association in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 17, 2024.
The lawsuit stems from a series of alleged discriminatory incidents that occurred during Aponte's employment from September 28, 2023, to July 31, 2024. According to the complaint, Aponte faced a hostile work environment perpetuated by colleagues and residents at The Oak Brook Club Association. One notable incident involved Theresa Van Zeelt, a bookkeeper/assistant property manager who argued with another coworker over displaying a Dominican flag and insisted that only the American flag was allowed. When Aponte questioned this unwritten policy, she was met with dismissive responses.
In March 2024, Aponte alleges that resident Jane Reader began giving her dirty looks and explicitly expressed disdain for Spanish people. Reader refused assistance from Aponte and preferred help from non-Hispanic employees. This behavior persisted daily until Aponte's termination.
Aponte also reported enduring homophobic comments from coworkers. In April 2024, after hearing derogatory remarks about LGBTQ+ individuals from Van Zeelt and an exterminator named Mike regarding a local church accepting a transgender child, Aponte spoke up about her daughter being gay. Despite her objections, the offensive conversations continued.
The situation escalated in June 2024 when Reader complained about Aponte not transferring calls properly and used foul language towards her. Despite reporting this to her supervisor Leslie Pollard, no direct action was taken against Reader; instead, Pollard advised Aponte to avoid the resident.
On July 15, 2024, Van Zeelt questioned Aponte's views on immigrants receiving educational grants in a manner that suggested they were undeserving compared to Americans. This conversation further strained their relationship.
A final incident leading to Aponte’s termination occurred on July 31, 2024. She was accused of using her phone on speaker mode during work hours—a claim she admitted but clarified it happened only during lunch breaks. Despite this explanation, Pollard upheld the termination decision.
Aponte claims these actions violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 by subjecting her to different terms and conditions based on race (Hispanic), color (brown skin), and national origin (Puerto Rican). She also asserts retaliation for opposing unlawful discrimination.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief including back pay with interest, front pay with benefits, compensatory damages for emotional distress and pain suffering, punitive damages, liquidated damages as well as reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
Representing Beatrice Aponte is Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while Judge Amrith Kaur Aakre presides over Case No:1:24-cv-08514.