A former employee has taken legal action against two companies, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Daniel Regis filed a complaint on December 24, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against QPS Employment Group, Inc. and Magnetic Inspection Laboratory, Inc. The lawsuit claims violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically citing race-based discrimination and harassment.
According to the complaint, Regis was hired by QPS Employment Group and assigned to work at Magnetic Inspection Laboratory as a line operator on September 30, 2024. However, his employment was abruptly terminated on October 8, 2024. Regis asserts that his dismissal was racially motivated and retaliatory due to his opposition to discriminatory practices within the company. He alleges that he faced different terms and conditions compared to non-African American employees from the onset of his employment.
The complaint details incidents where Regis was subjected to derogatory remarks and unequal treatment by his manager Oscar (last name unknown), who is identified as Hispanic. Despite having similar qualifications and experience as other employees, Regis claims he was consistently relegated to less desirable tasks while Latino colleagues were given more favorable assignments. His attempts to address these issues with human resources representatives Marcella (last name unknown) at Magnetic Inspection Laboratory and Gus (last name unknown) at QPS Employment Group were allegedly dismissed or ignored.
Regis's termination came shortly after he reported these concerns internally, which he argues constitutes unlawful retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit accuses both companies of fostering a hostile work environment where race-based harassment was pervasive and unaddressed despite repeated complaints.
In seeking justice, Regis requests several forms of relief from the court including back pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for willful misconduct by the defendants, attorney fees, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court. The case underscores significant allegations of systemic racial bias within these organizations.
Representing Daniel Regis are attorneys Nathan C. Volheim and Sophia K. Steere from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard, Illinois. The case is presided over by judges from the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:24-cv-13201.