Clara Osborn has filed a significant lawsuit against her former employer, American Drug Stores LLC, operating as Jewel-Osco, alleging sexual harassment and discrimination. The complaint was lodged on January 14, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Osborn accuses her employer of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), citing instances of sex-based discrimination, disability-based harassment, and retaliation.
According to the complaint, Clara Osborn began working as a Pharmacy Technician for Jewel-Osco on February 28, 2023. She claims that she was subjected to a hostile work environment under her manager Mark Springer starting in November 2023. Osborn alleges that Springer consistently belittled her due to her gender, publicly shamed her in front of colleagues, and left passive-aggressive notes at her workstation. "I am the boss, and I can make you do whatever I say," Springer allegedly asserted during one confrontation. Despite reporting these incidents to Human Resources and store management multiple times, Osborn claims no remedial action was taken.
The lawsuit also highlights how Osborn's lung issues and anxiety were exacerbated by the hostile work environment. She sought accommodations to manage her health conditions but was denied schedule adjustments necessary for therapy sessions. This denial constituted a failure by Jewel-Osco to engage in an interactive process required under ADA guidelines.
In August 2024, after reporting further harassment from Springer to store manager Rick (last name unknown), Osborn was demoted from her pharmacy role to a cashier/stock position upon returning from short-term disability leave. This demotion resulted in a significant pay cut and is viewed by Osborn as retaliatory action for opposing unlawful workplace practices.
The plaintiff seeks several forms of relief from the court: back pay with interest, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages for willful violations of civil rights laws, attorney fees, and any other equitable relief deemed appropriate by the court. Additionally, injunctive relief is requested to prevent future occurrences of such discrimination within the company.
Representing Clara Osborn is attorney Peyton M. Paschke from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no defense attorneys are listed in this initial filing document. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:25-cv-00390 but does not yet have an assigned judge listed.