Caden Doty has filed a lawsuit against CBOCS West, Inc., doing business as Cracker Barrel, alleging sexual harassment, sex-based discrimination, and retaliation. The complaint was filed on January 22, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Doty claims that his former employer subjected him to inappropriate conduct and retaliated against him after he reported the incidents.
According to the lawsuit, Doty worked as a dishwasher at Cracker Barrel from September 2024 until his termination on November 28, 2024. During his employment, Doty alleges he was subjected to a hostile work environment due to his sex. The complaint details an incident where an older co-worker named Rigoberto allegedly used a bussing tray to sexually assault Doty while he was working. Shocked by the event, Doty reported it to the General Manager Herber but claims no substantial action was taken apart from being advised to "stay away" from Rigoberto and "cover my butt with my left hand."
Doty's efforts to address the issue included confronting Rigoberto directly and reporting the incident to other employees before filing a police report. Despite these actions, Doty alleges that management instructed him not to discuss the incident further and subsequently terminated his employment after he contacted law enforcement. The police classified the incident as battery.
The lawsuit accuses Cracker Barrel of failing to provide a safe work environment and retaliating against Doty for reporting sexual harassment. It asserts violations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on sex and protects employees who report such discrimination from retaliation.
Doty seeks various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay and benefits, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief aimed at preventing future occurrences of similar misconduct.
The case is represented by attorney Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while details about defense attorneys are not specified in the document. The case is identified as Case No. 3:25-cv-50032 in front of an unspecified judge in the Northern District of Illinois.