A former employee has filed a lawsuit against his previous employer, alleging severe workplace discrimination and harassment. Pedro Gallegos, the plaintiff, submitted the complaint to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 12, 2024, targeting A2Z Real Estate Inc. The lawsuit claims that Gallegos faced national origin and race-based discrimination and harassment during his employment with A2Z Real Estate Inc., in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal laws.
Pedro Gallegos worked as a Maintenance Foreman for A2Z Real Estate Inc. from 1982 until his termination on November 13, 2024. He asserts that throughout late 2023 to November 2024, he was subjected to discriminatory treatment based on his national origin, race, and age. Gallegos is a Hispanic man of Mexican descent who alleges that he was targeted with derogatory comments by tenants and supervisors alike. One tenant, Dr. Jason Ingham from Advanced Spines & Sports Care, reportedly made repeated racist remarks such as "I hate fucking Mexicans." Additionally, Gallegos's supervisor Ed Carr allegedly told him to "speak English" because he was in the United States and asked when he would return to his country.
Gallegos also contends that Joe Anthony, Vice President of A2Z Real Estate Inc., pressured him about retirement due to his age—65 at the time—and dismissed his complaints about racial harassment with indifference. Despite reporting these incidents multiple times to company administrators like Barbara Coe, no action was taken to address or mitigate the hostile work environment.
The lawsuit further claims that after reporting these discriminatory actions in August 2024, Gallegos faced retaliation leading up to his termination following an incident involving a maintenance request from Dr. Jason Ingham regarding massage room temperatures. Although Gallegos sought permission before entering occupied rooms to adjust temperatures as requested by management emails, he was later accused of entering without permission—a charge he believes was retaliatory.
Following his dismissal after over four decades with the company, Gallegos discovered that a younger Caucasian male had already filled his position. The plaintiff argues this supports his claim of age-based discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). He maintains that he had no prior disciplinary issues and performed well in his role but was ultimately terminated due to racial bias and retaliation for opposing unlawful practices.
Gallegos seeks various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress suffered due to discriminatory practices at A2Z Real Estate Inc., along with reasonable attorney fees. The case highlights ongoing concerns about workplace discrimination based on race and age within certain sectors.
Representing Pedro Gallegos is Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while details about attorneys representing A2Z Real Estate Inc. are not specified in this document. The case is presided over by judges from the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:24-cv-12760.