Zedrick Cobbs has filed a compelling lawsuit against a major hotel chain, alleging severe misconduct and workplace discrimination. The complaint was lodged on December 16, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by Zedrick Cobbs against Hilton Hotel Employer, LLC, operating as Hilton Chicago. This case brings to light serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation within the workplace.
According to the court documents, Zedrick Cobbs was employed as a security officer at Hilton Chicago from August 19, 2024, until his alleged wrongful termination on November 7, 2024. Cobbs claims that he was subjected to repeated sexual harassment by a trainer/security officer starting on August 22, 2024. In one incident described in the complaint, his trainer allegedly grabbed his private area and made inappropriate comments despite Cobbs's clear objections and statements about having a girlfriend. When he threatened to report this behavior to Human Resources (HR), the trainer allegedly warned him that no one would believe him due to her influence within the company.
Cobbs reported these incidents to his supervisor and later escalated his complaints to the union after receiving no response or investigation from HR. However, he alleges that instead of addressing his concerns, he faced retaliation for speaking out against this misconduct. On November 7, 2024, Cobbs claims he was forced to resign under threat of termination by Ray Sanders, Captain of Security at Hilton Chicago.
The lawsuit accuses Hilton Hotel Employer of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by subjecting Cobbs to sexual harassment and discrimination based on sex. It further alleges that Hilton retaliated against him for engaging in protected activities such as reporting sexual harassment. The plaintiff asserts that despite meeting or exceeding performance expectations during his employment tenure, he was treated less favorably than other employees outside his protected class.
In seeking justice through this legal action, Zedrick Cobbs is asking for various forms of relief from the court. These include back pay with interest, front pay and benefits compensation for emotional distress suffered due to unlawful actions taken against him by Hilton Chicago management staff members involved directly or indirectly throughout this ordeal; punitive damages aimed at deterring future violations like those experienced here today; reasonable attorney fees incurred while pursuing rightful claims related thereto; among other equitable remedies deemed appropriate given circumstances surrounding case specifics outlined hereinabove.
Representing Mr. Cobbs is attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard Illinois who filed this case under ID number: 1:24-cv-12853.