On June 27th, 2024, Kennedy Hunt P.C. filed a complaint against Team Company d/b/a StaffQuick and Bimbo Bakeries USA in violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, 1991, and 1866, and the Illinois Workers Compensation Act, to correct unlawful employment practices on the basis of race, national origin, gender, and retaliation and to provide appropriate relief to our client.
According to the lawsuit, our client worked on the production line at defendant Bimbo Bakeries starting in May 2022. Per the lawsuit, our client worked next to another Bimbo employee on the production line, who would walk behind our client and rub his hand against her butt.
According to the lawsuit, the employee would also act like he was trying to grab a bagel but go between our client’s arms and touch her breasts. Our client did not report the behavior initially out of fear of retaliation. In September 2022, our client’s supervisors told our client another female coworker reported the inappropriate behavior, and asked her about her own experiences. The supervisors then asked our client to write a report, which she did.
Per the lawsuit, after reporting this information, Defendant Bimbo’s employees retaliated against our client.
The lawsuit continues:
For months, Defendant Bimbo’s management team watched Plaintiff carefully while she worked. Specifically, Amy and some American women working for Defendant Bimbo continued to watch Plaintiff carefully. Defendant Bimbo always had someone watching Plaintiff and following her when she went to lunch or the bathroom. Defendant Bimbo reassigned Plaintiff’s job assignment to a different production line area. This job assignment required Plaintiff to lift heavy boxes throughout most of her shift. It is known to employees that Defendant Bimbo assigns this task to employees who are in trouble as punishment.
According to the lawsuit, our client was later informed that there was insufficient evidence against the employee, and he would return to work.
Per the lawsuit:
On October 3, 2022, the employee returned to work and thereafter stalked Plaintiff and attempted to intimidate her. On October 11, 2022, Plaintiff learned that Defendant Bimbo terminated Hernandez’s employment in retaliation for her reporting Webb’s behavior. On or about February 27, 2023, Plaintiff slipped and fell on a wet mat in the scope of her employment, causing injury to her back. Plaintiff completed a report of injury. Both Defendants knew that Plaintiff’s back hurt because of the injury. Plaintiff’s doctor recommended to not do repetitive heavy lifting. Plaintiff informed Defendants regarding the doctor’s recommendation. Despite the doctor’s recommendations, Defendants put Plaintiff in areas that required repetitive heavy lifting throughout her shift.
According to the lawsuit, our client complained to StaffQuick about Bimbo’s behavior, which they did not respond to. On June 5, 2023, Plaintiff filed a charge of discrimination against Defendant
Bimbo, alleging discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, and retaliation. One week later, our client received notice that Defendant Bimbo terminated her employment. Defendant Bimbo never gave our client a reason for her termination.
This lawsuit seeks lost wages and benefits, unpaid wages, underpayments, reinstatement, liquidated damages, front wages, emotional distress damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorney’s fees and costs, as well as any other relief this Court deems may be just and proper.
This case is ongoing.
For more information, contact attorneys Michelle Faron and Sarah Jane Hunt at info@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has been a victim of discrimination, our skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.