On May 7, 2018, the Kennedy Hunt, P.C. filed suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the City of Murphysboro, Illinois and two members of the Murphysboro Police Department under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The lawsuit alleges Ken Johnson, a police dispatcher for the city of Murphysboro, Illinois, and Chad Roberts, the police chief for the city of Murphysboro, Illinois, repeatedly harassed our client based on her sex and disability and terminated her when she complained about the harassment. The Complaint can be read here.
On her very first day as a dispatcher for the Murphysboro Police Department and throughout her entire employment, our client was subjected to unwanted sexual comments by Mr. Johnson and Mr. Roberts. Things worsened when our client disclosed to the Police Department she had an ADHD diagnosis, a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mr. Johnson refused to continue training our client and began calling her cruel and demeaning names because of her diagnosis. Our client reported the harassment at the end of December 2016. She was terminated approximately two weeks later.
By subjecting our client to such a hostile work environment, the City of Murphysboro violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The City was aware of the actions of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Roberts but did nothing to remedy their ongoing misconduct. Instead, the City terminated our client in retaliation for her complains, which is also against the law. Our client is seeking damages including lost wages and benefits, front wages, emotional distress damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorney’s fees and costs.
WPSD, the Southern Illinoisan and Belleville News Democrat recently published articles on the lawsuit. For further information, please contact attorney Sarah Jane Hunt at 314-880-4463 or sarahjane@tkennedylaw.com.