A former employee has filed a lawsuit against two companies, alleging severe workplace misconduct. Brittany Huntoon initiated legal action on September 30, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Staff Management, Inc. and Carpenter’s Place. The complaint accuses the defendants of sexual harassment, discrimination based on sex and disability, and retaliation.
Brittany Huntoon's case is built on several serious allegations. She claims that from January to July 2024, she was subjected to a hostile work environment due to her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Huntoon also alleges that her disability—epilepsy—was not accommodated by her employers despite being known to them upon hiring. She contends that after submitting necessary paperwork for leave due to her seizures, she was denied protected leave and offered unpaid leave instead. Her requests for reasonable accommodation were allegedly ignored or inadequately addressed.
Huntoon further details incidents of sexual harassment by a guest named Creg, who made inappropriate comments towards her and continued to harass her even after being banned from the premises. Despite reporting these incidents to management, no effective action was taken until months later. When Creg returned in July 2024 and caused a disturbance, Huntoon claims she was wrongfully blamed for escalating the situation and subsequently terminated from her position as a day room coordinator.
The lawsuit outlines multiple counts against the defendants under both Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These include sexual harassment, sex-based discrimination, retaliation for reporting harassment and discrimination, disability-based discrimination, failure to accommodate her disability, and retaliation under ADA provisions. Huntoon asserts that these actions resulted in loss of employment benefits and caused significant emotional distress.
In terms of relief sought from the court, Huntoon demands back pay with interest, front pay with benefits, compensatory damages for emotional suffering, punitive damages for willful violations of her rights under federal law, attorney's fees and costs incurred during litigation, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future occurrences of such conduct by the defendants.
Representing Brittany Huntoon is Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no specific attorneys are mentioned for the defense within this document. The case is filed under Case ID: 3:24-cv-50401 before an unspecified judge at this stage.