A former employee has taken legal action against a company, alleging discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation. Anthony "Toni" Fowler filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 12, 2024, accusing Datascan Field Services LLC of discriminatory practices.
The lawsuit claims that Fowler, who identifies as transgender and female, was subjected to discrimination from her first day of employment on August 1, 2024. Fowler alleges that her manager, Tre Davis, consistently made disparaging remarks and treated her differently compared to non-transgender employees. Despite meeting performance expectations, Fowler faced what she describes as a hostile work environment. On September 17, 2024, she felt compelled to resign due to the unbearable conditions but later returned to work out of necessity. However, upon her return on October 1, 2024, the harassment resumed with Davis using transphobic slurs and ultimately terminating her employment without cause.
Fowler's complaint highlights several violations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She asserts that Datascan Field Services LLC failed to address her complaints about sexual orientation-based harassment and discrimination adequately. The lawsuit accuses the company of retaliating against Fowler for reporting these issues by terminating her employment unjustly.
In seeking justice from the court, Fowler demands various forms of relief including back pay with interest, compensatory damages for emotional distress, injunctive relief to prevent further occurrences of such behavior within the company, and punitive damages. Additionally, she requests reasonable attorney fees and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Fowler are attorneys Nathan C. Volheim and Mally L. Slone from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard, Illinois. The case is being overseen by an unspecified judge under Case ID: 1:24-cv-12758.