Sandra Desiderio has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, alleging age discrimination and retaliation in violation of federal and state laws. The complaint was lodged on October 28, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Maryville Academy. Desiderio claims that she faced discriminatory treatment due to her age, culminating in her wrongful termination.
The case centers around allegations that Maryville Academy engaged in discriminatory practices under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Illinois Human Rights Act. Sandra Desiderio, who worked as a Care Provider from February 2019 until August 29, 2024, asserts that she was subjected to unfavorable work conditions compared to younger colleagues. According to the complaint, after Isabel Wolf became Assistant Director in November 2023, Desiderio was assigned more labor-intensive tasks while younger employees were given less demanding duties. Furthermore, Desiderio's performance was scrutinized more closely than that of her younger counterparts.
Desiderio alleges that after voicing concerns about age discrimination to Wolf, she experienced an increase in responsibilities and was eventually terminated under pretextual reasons. She contends that her termination followed a meeting where Wolf expressed a preference for hiring younger employees because they supposedly had "better ideas." Despite performing satisfactorily according to company standards throughout her tenure, Desiderio claims she was dismissed on grounds of excessive phone use and extended breaks during night shifts—practices allegedly tolerated among other staff members.
In response to these grievances, Desiderio seeks various forms of relief from the court. Her demands include back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, loss of benefits compensation, attorney fees and costs, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court. The lawsuit underscores alleged violations of both federal statutes like the ADEA and state-level protections under the Illinois Human Rights Act.
Representing Sandra Desiderio is Alexander Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard, Illinois. The case is being heard by Judge Alexander Taylor under Case ID: 1:24-cv-11036.