In a compelling legal battle, a former employee has filed a lawsuit against her previous employer and a manager, alleging serious workplace misconduct. Brittany Farmby initiated the complaint on September 30, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, accusing Menard, Inc., and its General Manager Ahmad Guise of multiple violations including sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation.
Brittany Farmby claims that during her tenure as an order pick-up coordinator at Menard from June 2022 to March 2024, she was subjected to persistent sexual harassment by Ahmad Guise. The allegations include unwelcome sexual advances starting in July 2023, where Guise reportedly made inappropriate comments about Farmby's appearance and even committed battery by grabbing her hair aggressively. Despite reporting these incidents to Human Resources (HR), no corrective action was taken against Guise. Farmby alleges that this hostile work environment was compounded by racial discrimination as she was treated differently compared to other employees who were not African American females. The lawsuit cites violations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 for race-based discrimination and harassment.
The complaint details how Farmby's attempts to seek redress through internal channels were met with indifference or inadequate responses from Menard's management. Her efforts to transfer within the company were thwarted as she was repeatedly directed back to Guise for approval, effectively trapping her in a toxic work environment. Furthermore, after filing complaints with HR and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Farmby noticed a reduction in her work hours—an act she perceives as retaliatory for her protected activity of reporting discrimination.
Farmby is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for willful misconduct by the defendants, and injunctive relief to prevent further occurrences of such behavior at Menard. She also demands reasonable attorney fees and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Brittany Farmby is attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no attorneys are listed for Menard or Ahmad Guise in this document. The case is presided over by an unnamed judge under Case ID: 1:24-cv-09145.