A refrigeration technician has taken legal action against his employer, alleging racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Lloyd Amos II filed a complaint on November 27, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Gateway Industrial Power, Inc., doing business as Gateway Truck and Refrigeration, Inc.
The lawsuit filed by Amos claims violations under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 due to race-based discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Amos began working for Gateway Industrial Power as a Refrigeration Technician on September 5, 2023. He alleges that since July 31, 2024, he has been subjected to discriminatory treatment compared to his non-African American colleagues. According to the complaint, Amos was part of a work group chat where racially offensive content was shared by Caucasian coworkers. The chat included derogatory jokes and comments about African Americans. Despite initially trying to ignore these messages, Amos reported them to Human Resources on September 11, 2024.
Amos claims that after filing his complaint with HR, he faced direct hostility from his supervisor Roger Cerny and was suspended in what he believes was an act of retaliation. He describes further retaliatory actions such as being closely monitored by Cerny and being reassigned unjustly to office work. Additionally, Amos raises concerns about safety due to coworkers carrying firearms at work despite company policy prohibiting weapons.
The lawsuit accuses Gateway Industrial Power of failing to address or prevent further occurrences of discriminatory behavior after it was reported. It asserts that the company's management not only participated in but also witnessed racial harassment without intervening. Amos seeks various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and costs.
Representing Lloyd Amos II is attorney Peyton M. Paschke from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no defense attorneys are listed in the document. The case is presided over by judges within the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:24-cv-12274.