Tanya Johnson has filed a federal lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against her former employer. On September 27, 2024, Johnson submitted the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, accusing Heritage Woods of South Elgin, LLC of violating her civil rights under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The complaint outlines a series of discriminatory actions that Johnson claims she faced during her employment as a housekeeper at Heritage Woods from May 2021 until January 2024. According to the filing, Johnson, an African American woman, experienced differential treatment compared to employees outside her protected class starting in June 2023. She alleges that she was subjected to racially derogatory comments such as "I don't like black people" and "black people are aggressive," primarily by Jennifer Diaz, who was hired by Activities Personnel Janice Soto. When Johnson reported these incidents to Human Resources (HR), she claims HR portrayed her as aggressive—a stereotype often unfairly attributed to African American women—rather than addressing her complaints.
Johnson's lawsuit further describes how false accusations were made against her in retaliation for her complaints. For instance, in June 2023, Diaz and a friend allegedly accused Johnson of spraying cleaner over food and drinks in the cafeteria. Despite making a formal complaint about this behavior on January 3, 2024, HR allegedly continued to perpetuate racial stereotypes instead of investigating or resolving the issue.
The situation escalated when Johnson was terminated on January 10, 2024. She contends that this termination was not due to any misconduct but rather as retaliation for opposing unlawful discrimination and exercising her protected rights. The plaintiff argues that she met or exceeded performance expectations throughout her tenure at Heritage Woods and that the reasons given for her dismissal were pretextual.
In seeking justice through this lawsuit, Tanya Johnson is asking the court for several forms of relief: back pay with interest; compensatory and punitive damages; reasonable attorney fees; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court. Her legal representation is provided by Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., who has demanded a jury trial for all issues presented in this case.
This case is presided over by Judge [Name] under Case ID: 1:24-cv-09047.