A former employee has filed a lawsuit against Amtrak, alleging racial and sexual orientation discrimination. Lorenzo Fields initiated the complaint on Oct. 31, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
Fields' allegations are rooted in violations of both Section 1981 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He claims that during his employment as a Train Attendant from August 2023 to January 2024, he faced discriminatory practices based on his race and sexual orientation. Fields is African American and identifies as gay, which places him within protected classes under federal law. According to Fields, his supervisor Dominique displayed bias by denying him essential training opportunities necessary for securing permanent employment status. Despite being described as a diligent worker by Dominique herself, Fields was allegedly overlooked in favor of other trainees whom she personally favored.
The situation escalated when Fields received a termination letter on January 26, 2024. It was later revealed through a co-worker that Dominique harbored prejudices against "Black gay guys," which Fields believes influenced her actions and ultimately led to his dismissal. This alleged bias was further compounded when Amtrak's Operations Manager cited "personal personality/attitude issues" as reasons for Fields' termination—a justification he argues is merely pretextual.
Fields contends that he consistently met or exceeded performance expectations throughout his tenure at Amtrak. He asserts that his termination was retaliatory in nature, stemming from his opposition to unlawful discrimination and harassment based on race and sexual orientation. In addition to losing his job, Fields reports suffering mental anguish and distress due to these discriminatory practices.
In response to these grievances, Fields seeks various forms of relief from the court. These include back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, loss of benefits compensation, reasonable attorney fees and costs, along with any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Lorenzo Fields is Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while the case will be presided over by judges from the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:24-cv-11250.