Andrea Griffin has filed a lawsuit against Highland Park CVS, LLC, alleging discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on November 7, 2024. Griffin accuses her former employer, Highland Park CVS, of failing to accommodate her disability and retaliating against her for asserting her rights.
The case centers around Andrea Griffin's employment as an Operations Manager at a CVS store operated by Highland Park CVS, LLC. Hired on January 18, 2022, Griffin's responsibilities included managing store operations and staff. Despite being diagnosed with severe arthritis in her knee—a condition that significantly impaired her mobility—Griffin claims she was able to perform her job duties with reasonable accommodations. However, she alleges that after transferring to a new location in February 2024, she faced harassment and a reduction in work hours due to her disability. In May 2024, Griffin experienced what she describes as disability-based harassment when a store manager questioned her about being handicapped. Following this incident, Griffin noticed a significant cut in her work hours from thirty-eight to twenty-five per week without explanation.
Griffin further asserts that she was subjected to physically demanding tasks that exacerbated her condition and were typically performed by multiple employees. Despite requesting reasonable accommodations such as using a buggy to ease physical strain, these requests were allegedly dismissed by the management. As a result of these conditions and lack of support from Highland Park CVS, Griffin felt compelled to resign in May 2024 due to what she describes as constructive discharge resulting from discrimination and failure to accommodate.
In her lawsuit, Griffin is seeking various forms of relief including back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life caused by the alleged discrimination and retaliation. She also demands reasonable attorney fees and costs associated with bringing the lawsuit.
Representing Andrea Griffin are attorneys Mohammed O. Badwan and Peyton M. Paschke from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard, Illinois. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:24-cv-11496.