A recent lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Illinois has brought to light allegations of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The complaint, filed by Roxy Knightly on December 23, 2024, targets Egg Harbor Café, Inc., accusing the company of violating several federal laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Roxy Knightly, a former employee at Egg Harbor Café, claims that she was subjected to discriminatory practices based on her perceived disability and sexual orientation. According to the complaint, Knightly was employed as a barista from September 2024 until her termination on October 26, 2024. During her employment, she alleges that she faced different terms and conditions compared to other employees who were not part of her protected class. She further claims that she was harassed due to her identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and because of a perceived disability stemming from neck and back issues related to domestic violence.
The narrative unfolds with an incident in early September when Knightly requested two days off for medical appointments due to significant pain affecting her mobility. This request was initially granted without issue. However, tensions escalated when a manager named Josue allegedly made derogatory remarks about LGBTQ+ individuals and later misrepresented Knightly's request for accommodation as an official medical need. The situation deteriorated further when Josue reportedly reacted negatively to Knightly discussing LGBTQ+ topics with coworkers.
Knightly's attempts to address these concerns with Human Resources were met with hostility, according to the complaint. She describes being pressured into accepting an impractical accommodation that would hinder her job performance. Her efforts to discuss Josue's behavior were dismissed by HR, leading to an emotionally charged confrontation where Josue publicly reprimanded her before suspending her without explanation.
The following day, Knightly was terminated under what she argues were false pretenses—cited reasons being "lack of professionalism" and "making a scene." She contends these were merely pretexts for discrimination based on her perceived disability and sexual orientation.
Knightly is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, front pay, loss of benefits compensation, reasonable attorney fees and costs, along with any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Roxy Knightly are attorneys Nathan C. Volheim and Mally L. Slone from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while the case is presided over in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:24-cv-13149.