A former employee of a prominent family services organization has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Luma Albzour, through her attorney Peyton M. Paschke, Esq., filed the complaint on February 24, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Arab American Family Services. The case accuses the defendant of violating several federal and state laws related to employment discrimination.
The lawsuit claims that Arab American Family Services unlawfully discriminated against Luma Albzour based on her sex, pregnancy, and disability status. The complaint outlines multiple alleged violations including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). According to Albzour's allegations, she was subjected to different terms and conditions compared to non-pregnant employees. Her requests for reasonable accommodations during her pregnancy were either denied or ignored by her employer. "Plaintiff was able to perform all of her duties regardless of her pregnancy," states the complaint, emphasizing that Albzour's requests for accommodations were reasonable and would not have imposed an undue burden on the company.
Albzour’s ordeal began when she requested intermittent leave and permission to work from home due to a lack of air conditioning at her workplace, which posed health risks during her high-risk pregnancy. While intermittent leave was granted by HR Partner Tracy Ro, working from home was denied despite other employees being allowed remote work under similar circumstances. This denial led Albzour to take unpaid leave starting August 23, 2024. The situation escalated when Albzour attempted to return from maternity leave; she requested accommodation for breastfeeding but received no response from management.
The complaint also highlights an aggressive interaction with HR representative Nancy Bouchari after Albzour questioned why she had to use paid time off for maternity leave. Following this confrontation and subsequent complaints about discriminatory treatment during her pregnancy and maternity leave, Albzour was terminated on November 27, 2024. The termination letter cited misconduct as the reason; however, Albzour contends it was retaliatory due to her complaints about discrimination.
Albzour is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages as well as reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. She argues that Arab American Family Services acted in willful disregard of her rights under federal statutes designed to protect pregnant workers and individuals with disabilities.
The case is being handled by attorney Peyton M. Paschke from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., located in Lombard, Illinois. It is filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-01869 in front of judges yet unnamed in this document.