A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major aerospace company, alleging sexual harassment, discrimination based on sex, and retaliation for reporting such misconduct. The complaint was filed by Karena Cicero in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 19, 2024, against GE Aviation Systems LLC, doing business as GE Aerospace.
The case details an alleged hostile work environment that Cicero faced during her tenure as a Level 2 CNC Machinist at GE Aerospace. Cicero claims that from December 2023 to July 2024, she was subjected to inappropriate comments and behavior by a coworker named Scott Wilson. These incidents included sexually suggestive remarks and derogatory comments about her appearance and religious beliefs. Despite reporting these incidents to her superiors and the human resources department, Cicero alleges that no meaningful action was taken to address the harassment or protect her from further incidents.
Cicero's complaint outlines several specific instances of harassment. For example, on December 13, 2023, Wilson allegedly made a lewd comment while training Cicero. Further inappropriate remarks were made in January and February of 2024, with witnesses present during some of these exchanges. In May 2024, after another incident involving offensive comments about her body, Cicero reported the matter to HR but felt that the response was inadequate as Wilson returned to work shortly after being spoken to.
The situation reportedly escalated when Cicero requested a transfer or shift change to avoid further interactions with Wilson but received no response from management. This lack of action contributed to severe anxiety for Cicero, who already suffered from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She experienced panic attacks and other physical symptoms due to the stress caused by the unresolved harassment.
In June 2024, Cicero took short-term medical leave due to her deteriorating mental health but ultimately felt compelled to resign in July because of ongoing anxiety related to her work environment. After leaving the company, an internal investigation substantiated some of her claims; however, no follow-up actions were communicated back to her.
Cicero is seeking various forms of relief through this lawsuit including back pay with interest, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for willful misconduct by GE Aerospace, attorney fees and costs associated with bringing this action forward. Her legal representation is led by Peyton M. Paschke from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., emphasizing their commitment to holding employers accountable for creating safe workplaces free from discrimination and harassment.
This case is assigned Case ID: 3:24-cv-50515 under Judge's supervision at the Northern District Court in Illinois.