A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major beverage distribution company, alleging racial discrimination, disability harassment, and retaliation. Antonio Davis initiated the complaint on February 24, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution, LLC and his former supervisor John Sears.
Antonio Davis, an African-American man who was employed by Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution as an Inside Sales Representative starting in August 2022, claims that he faced continuous racial and disability-based harassment during his tenure. The complaint details how Davis was subjected to derogatory comments about his race by his initial supervisor Tanya Vera-Pallela and later by John Sears after being transferred to the Logistics Department as a Dispatcher in March 2023. According to Davis, Vera-Pallela made racially charged remarks such as "I hate ghetto music" and laughed at comments about predominantly black neighborhoods being "quarantined areas." After raising these issues with Human Resources, Davis was transferred but continued to face harassment under Sears' supervision.
Davis also alleges that he was discriminated against due to his dyslexia. He disclosed this condition to Vera-Pallela in November 2022, only to be mocked through demeaning jokes about his intelligence. Despite reporting these incidents to Human Resources, no effective action was taken. The complaint accuses Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution of failing to supervise its employees properly and allowing a hostile work environment to persist.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court including reinstatement of employment benefits, compensatory damages for mental anguish and emotional distress, punitive damages for reckless indifference to his rights, and a permanent injunction against further discriminatory practices by the defendant. Additionally, Davis requests that the court expedite proceedings and order the company to implement measures preventing future discrimination.
Representing Antonio Davis are attorneys Uche O. Asonye and Dan Asonye from Asonye & Associates based in Chicago. The case is identified as Case No. 1:25-cv-01932.