A former employee has taken legal action against a transportation company, alleging violations of labor laws related to overtime pay. LaDonna Charles filed a complaint on October 14, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Sunrise Bus LLC, doing business as Lakeview Bus Lines, Inc., and its General Manager Jamie Enger.
The lawsuit initiated by LaDonna Charles claims that her former employer, Sunrise Bus LLC, failed to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL). Charles alleges that during her employment from September 2010 until September 6, 2024, she was not compensated for overtime work. She asserts that despite working over 40 hours per week—sometimes up to 60 hours—she did not receive the legally mandated overtime pay. According to the complaint, "Defendants have at all times relevant hereto failed and refused to pay any compensation for hours worked in excess of forty (40) in a work week." The lawsuit further contends that these practices were willful violations of labor laws and seeks additional damages for such conduct.
Charles’s duties included clerical tasks, customer service, dispatching, and substitute bus driving. She was paid both as a salaried exempt employee and an hourly worker but claims she was denied appropriate overtime compensation regardless of her role. The plaintiff argues that this dual compensation structure did not meet any exemptions under federal or state law and thus entitles her to unpaid wages. The case also seeks class-action status under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 for similarly situated employees who may have been affected by similar practices.
In addition to back pay for unpaid overtime over two years preceding the filing of the complaint, Charles is seeking liquidated damages equal to unpaid wages under FLSA provisions. She also requests attorney fees and court costs incurred due to these alleged violations. Under Count IV of the complaint regarding IMWL violations, she demands penalties amounting to an additional 2% per month on unpaid wages.
Representing LaDonna Charles is attorney John W. Billhorn from Billhorn Law Firm located in Chicago. The case is presided over by unnamed judges at this time under Case ID: 1:24-cv-10117.