A shocking lawsuit has been filed in the Northern District of Illinois, alleging a disturbing conspiracy and hate crime at a local convenience store. Mark Martin initiated legal action on January 8, 2025, against Casey’s Retail Company and its employees Lance Boren and Coreena Close. The complaint accuses the defendants of conspiring to violate Martin's civil rights based on his sexual orientation, along with several other state law claims including negligence, battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to the complaint, Mark Martin is a resident of Ottawa, Illinois, who identifies as homosexual. On July 30, 2023, he entered a Casey’s store in Marseilles seeking assistance after his phone battery died. What followed was an alleged nightmarish encounter with employee Lance Boren. Martin claims that Boren forcibly removed him from the store by grabbing his neck and wrist before throwing him to the ground outside. Despite Martin's pleas for help and requests to call the police, both Boren and another employee, Coreena Close—who allegedly had bullied Martin in school—ignored him.
The situation escalated when Martin re-entered the store seeking safety and assistance but was again met with violence from Boren. This time Boren reportedly pushed Martin so forcefully that he hit his head on a glass door. Throughout this ordeal, Boren allegedly used derogatory language towards Martin based on his sexual orientation. After multiple altercations inside and outside the store witnessed by customers and captured partially on surveillance cameras (which were later found tampered), police were called only after Martin left.
Despite video evidence reviewed by officers showing Boren's aggression towards Martin, no charges were filed against him—a fact that Martin attributes to Boren’s personal connections shielding him from prosecution. As a result of these events, Martin claims to have suffered significant physical injuries including a concussion as well as emotional trauma manifesting as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Martin’s lawsuit asserts violations under federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1985(3)) for conspiracy against his civil rights due to his sexual orientation alongside state law claims such as battery and assault committed by Boren during employment at Casey’s Retail Company. Furthermore, it alleges negligence on part of Casey’s for failing to provide a safe environment or preserve crucial surveillance footage needed for investigation.
In seeking justice through this lawsuit filed by attorney Christina Abraham at the Federal District Court for Northern Illinois (Case No.: 25-cv-231), Mark Martin demands actual damages alongside compensatory and punitive damages among other forms of relief deemed appropriate by court standards.
This case brings into focus issues surrounding workplace conduct policies concerning employee behavior towards customers especially those belonging to marginalized communities like LGBTQ+. It also raises questions about corporate responsibility in addressing allegations involving potential hate crimes within their premises while ensuring fair treatment during investigations without bias or favoritism impacting outcomes negatively affecting victims’ rights.
The attorneys involved include Christina Abraham representing plaintiff Mark Martin while details regarding defense counsel remain undisclosed pending further proceedings before judges overseeing Case ID: 25-cv-231.