A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major transportation company, alleging sexual harassment, sex-based discrimination, and retaliation. Tiffany Dobbs initiated the complaint on November 27, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Greyhound Lines, Inc.
According to the lawsuit, Dobbs was employed as a Driver Supervisor with Greyhound from September 2023 until her termination in August 2024. During her tenure, she claims to have been subjected to repeated sexual harassment by a male lead supervisor named Dennis Qualls. The complaint details several instances where Qualls allegedly made inappropriate remarks and gestures towards Dobbs. On their first night working together, Qualls reportedly commented on Dobbs' appearance in a sexually suggestive manner and referred to her as "new meat" to another driver. Despite Dobbs' attempts to ignore these comments and distance herself from Qualls, his behavior persisted. She alleges that he continued making remarks about her body and even called her personal phone at night.
Dobbs further claims that after confronting Qualls about his behavior in June 2024, she discovered that another female employee had also reported similar harassment by him but was transferred instead of receiving justice. When Dobbs reported these incidents to her supervisor Dave and later escalated them to another City Manager Avian Rigby, she faced dismissal of her concerns and increasing hostility at work.
The situation worsened when Dobbs accidentally left with money from a ticket sale but promptly returned it upon realizing the mistake. This incident led to an investigation by Greyhound's management, during which Dobbs was suspended and subsequently terminated for allegedly not following company procedures—a claim she argues is pretextual given that other employees committed more serious infractions without facing termination.
Dobbs asserts that Greyhound's actions were retaliatory due to her complaints about the harassment and discrimination she faced. She accuses the company of willful disregard for her rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition to back pay and benefits lost due to wrongful termination, Dobbs seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for reckless indifference by Greyhound's management towards federally protected rights, as well as injunctive relief ensuring such discriminatory practices are halted within the organization.
Representing Tiffany Dobbs is attorney Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no specific attorneys or judges have been mentioned for Greyhound Lines Inc., identified as defendants in Case ID: 1:24-cv-12309.