In a striking lawsuit filed on March 10, 2025, an individual has taken legal action against a prominent hospital in Illinois, alleging severe racial discrimination and retaliation. Leontyne Cooper initiated the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the University of Illinois Hospital, claiming violations under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Leontyne Cooper's allegations detail a troubling narrative of racial hostility during her tenure as a Medical Assistant at the University of Illinois Hospital from September to December 2024. According to Cooper, her experience was marred by race-based discrimination and harassment, beginning on her very first day when she was warned by a co-worker that her supervisor had a history of firing African American employees. This set the tone for what Cooper describes as an environment rife with exclusionary practices and racially charged comments. She recounts an incident where a white colleague suggested she was "fortunate" to have been hired, implying that African American women were not typically employed in their department.
Cooper took proactive steps by reporting these incidents to Human Resources (HR), only to be met with discouragement and warnings that pursuing justice could jeopardize her job. An HR representative allegedly advised her to remain silent about the discrimination. Despite this, Cooper persisted and formally reported the racial discrimination in mid-October 2024. However, following her complaint, she became subject to retaliatory actions including receiving a fabricated negative performance evaluation despite positive written comments.
The situation escalated when Cooper was publicly acknowledged for saving a life through CPR on December 17, 2024. The next day, she faced termination under the pretext of not being "a good fit," which she argues was directly linked to her complaints about racial discrimination. In her complaint, Cooper asserts that these actions were calculated moves by the hospital to silence her for asserting her legal rights.
Cooper is seeking redress from the court through various forms of relief including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and costs, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court. She emphasizes that these discriminatory practices have caused significant emotional distress and loss of employment benefits.
Representing Leontyne Cooper is attorney Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no defense attorney is listed in this initial filing. The case is presided over by judges from the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:25-cv-02514.