In a compelling legal battle, a former employee has taken on a major retail corporation, alleging discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Brittany Funches filed a lawsuit against Macy's Retail Holdings, LLC in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on November 27, 2024. The complaint accuses Macy's of failing to accommodate her disability and retaliating against her for seeking such accommodations.
The case centers around Funches' tenure as a sales associate at Macy's from November 6, 2023, until her termination on October 1, 2024. According to the complaint, Funches suffers from panic attacks and anxiety, conditions that significantly impact her daily life. Despite informing her employer about these disabilities and requesting reasonable accommodations, she claims that Macy's failed to address her needs adequately. Instead, she alleges that she faced an increasingly hostile work environment led by her supervisor Asia Gray and others who exacerbated her condition through disrespectful behavior and scheduling conflicts.
Funches recounts several distressing incidents in the workplace that contributed to her mental anguish. She highlights an instance where a manager made an insensitive remark about her family's tragedies, including the murder of her sister—a traumatic event contributing to her anxiety. When Funches reported this behavior to management and Human Resources, she claims it was met with indifference or outright dismissal.
Asserting that Macy's actions violated the ADA by not providing necessary accommodations and retaliating against her complaints, Funches seeks various forms of relief from the court. These include back pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for willful misconduct by Macy’s, as well as coverage for legal fees incurred during this process.
Represented by attorney Mohammed O. Badwan from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., Funches demands justice for what she describes as wrongful termination based on discriminatory practices against individuals with disabilities. The case is being overseen under Case ID: 1:24-cv-12322 in front of the judges assigned within the jurisdiction of Northern District of Illinois.