Raymond Sanders has filed a lawsuit against Under Armour Retail, Inc., alleging multiple counts of discrimination and retaliation. The complaint was filed on March 11, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Sanders accuses Under Armour of violating several federal statutes including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
The plaintiff, Raymond Sanders, who served as a Store Manager from March 2023 until his termination in July 2024, claims that he faced race-based discrimination and harassment due to his African American and Native American heritage. Additionally, Sanders alleges age-based discrimination as he is over forty years old. His complaint also includes allegations of disability discrimination due to his mental and physical impairments such as anxiety, depression, hypertension, and asthma. Sanders asserts that Under Armour failed to accommodate his disabilities despite being aware of them.
Sanders recounts numerous incidents that illustrate the alleged discriminatory environment at Under Armour. He describes being placed on involuntary leave without pay instead of being allowed to use sick days after contracting COVID-19. Despite informing his supervisor Nathaniel Jenkins about his condition and engaging in protected activity by requesting reasonable accommodation, Sanders claims he was subjected to retaliatory actions including delayed paychecks and placement on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) without justification.
In addition to these allegations, Sanders details instances where derogatory comments were made about his age and race by colleagues at Under Armour. He reported these issues to human resources but alleges that no action was taken to address or rectify the situation. Following his return from medical leave under FMLA provisions, Sanders found himself marginalized within the company; his subordinate assumed managerial duties during his absence and continued even after his return.
The lawsuit seeks various forms of relief including back pay with interest, compensatory damages for emotional distress suffered due to harassment and discrimination, punitive damages for willful violations by Under Armour's management team along with attorney fees incurred during litigation proceedings.
Representing Raymond Sanders is Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while specific attorneys for Under Armour have not been mentioned in this filing document. The case is presided over by judges from the Northern District Court under Case ID: 1:25-cv-02537.