A former employee has filed a lawsuit alleging severe workplace discrimination and harassment. Kostoula Kalyviaris, the plaintiff, lodged her complaint against Designer Direct, Inc., doing business as Levin and Associates, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on November 26, 2024. The suit accuses the company of multiple violations including age discrimination, national origin-based harassment, and retaliation under federal employment laws.
Kostoula Kalyviaris claims that during her tenure at Designer Direct from August 18, 2021, until her termination on July 22, 2024, she faced persistent discrimination due to her age (78), sex (female), and Greek national origin. According to the complaint, these discriminatory actions were in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Kalyviaris alleges that Kerry Levin, the owner of Designer Direct, frequently made derogatory comments about her Greek heritage and age. Despite being fluent in English, she was told by Levin that he could not understand her language. In contrast, Ukrainian and Russian colleagues who required translation services did not face similar treatment.
The complaint details further instances of alleged misconduct by Levin including inappropriate comments about gender and watching pornography in the office. It also mentions an incident where a pipe fell on Kalyviaris’s leg due to improper rigging by Levin; however, no medical expenses were covered by the employer. Kalyviaris believes this was another instance of discrimination based on her protected class status.
The plaintiff argues that despite meeting or exceeding job performance expectations throughout her employment as a seamstress/designer with responsibilities such as altering garments according to customer specifications and maintaining equipment functionality—she was subjected to unfair treatment compared to younger or non-Greek employees. She states that she never received raises after her first year while others did.
Kalyviaris is seeking several forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory damages for emotional distress caused by hostile work conditions described as "severe" and "pervasive," punitive damages for willful disregard of her rights under ADEA and Title VII statutes along with reasonable attorney fees among other remedies deemed just by the court.
Representing Kalyviaris is attorney Peyton M. Paschke from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no defense counsel has been named yet in public records related to this case identified as Case No: 1:24-cv-12223 presided over by judges yet unnamed at this stage.