A former employee has taken legal action against a prominent law firm, alleging age discrimination and wrongful termination. Christine M. Busanelli filed a complaint on March 12, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, Benmaier & Eastham, PLLC (SBSB). The lawsuit accuses the firm of violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and engaging in discriminatory practices that led to her unlawful termination.
The complaint outlines a series of events beginning on August 24, 2023, when Busanelli was contacted by Shannon Block about potential employment with SBSB. After undergoing interviews with firm representatives including Susan Schouest and Chris Carr, she was subjected to explicit age-related comments during an interview with Carr. He allegedly stated that Busanelli "would not be happy working at the firm because [she] was so old" and that she was "too old" to fit in. Despite these remarks, SBSB eventually offered her a position after she filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on September 8, 2023.
Busanelli accepted the job offer but claims her start date was intentionally delayed by over three weeks. During her tenure starting October 3, 2023, she alleges ongoing harassment and disparate treatment based on her age. This included being denied benefits provided to younger employees, exclusion from social events, excessive surveillance, difficult work conditions, and ridicule about her age in front of colleagues. Her complaints to management reportedly went unaddressed.
Despite maintaining satisfactory job performance as evidenced by positive written communications from colleagues and supervisors praising her work quality, Busanelli's employment was terminated on March 25, 2024. She contends this action was retaliatory due to her complaints about age discrimination and filing an EEOC charge.
In seeking justice through the court system, Busanelli requests back pay and lost wages totaling at least $50,000 along with liquidated damages under ADEA provisions. She also seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress and damage to her professional reputation as well as punitive damages where applicable by law. Additionally requested are reinstatement or front pay options plus injunctive relief prohibiting further discriminatory practices by SBSB.
The case is represented by attorney Cass T. Casper from Disparti Law Group P.A., located at 121 West Wacker Drive in Chicago. The case is identified under Case ID: 1:25-cv-02606.