A former employee has taken legal action against a major railroad company, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. On February 19, 2025, John Cavers filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Union Pacific Railroad Company. The lawsuit claims that Cavers faced racial discrimination and was wrongfully terminated from his position as a Freight Conductor in Training.
According to the complaint, John Cavers, who is Black, began working for Union Pacific Railroad Company on January 16, 2023. He alleges that during his brief tenure, he was subjected to racially discriminatory remarks by a white conductor responsible for his training. The conductor allegedly referred to him using derogatory language and expressed disdain for training Black individuals. Despite reporting these incidents to the company, Cavers claims no action was taken against the conductor. Instead, he found himself locked out of work systems without explanation on February 16, 2023. Cavers argues that this lockout was retaliatory after he reported the discrimination to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) earlier that month.
The EEOC issued a Notice of Right to Sue on November 22, 2024, following an unsuccessful mediation attempt between the parties in April 2024. In his lawsuit, Cavers accuses Union Pacific Railroad Company of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against him based on race and retaliating against him for engaging in protected activities such as reporting racial discrimination.
Cavers seeks several forms of relief from the court. He requests declarations that Union Pacific violated Title VII and demands injunctive relief to prevent further violations by the company. Additionally, he seeks back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress and other non-economic losses, as well as attorney’s fees and costs associated with bringing the lawsuit.
The case is being handled by attorney Antonio L. Jeffrey from Jeffrey Law Office LLC representing John Cavers. The case ID is 25-cv-1740.