BENTON - Two employees of an automobile maintenance company are suing over claims they were discriminated and retaliated against because of their race.
DeWayne Wren and Robert Windham, former employees of Valvoline Instant Oil Change, filed suit May 5 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois claiming violations of the federal Civil Rights Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act.
The pair, both African-Americans, claim they were unlawfully discriminated against based on race, that Valvoline failed and/or refused to take action to terminate and correct the racial harassment, discrimination and hostile work environment."
The plaintiffs also allege that the company "retaliated against African-American employees for exercising their civil rights and complaining/reporting racial discrimination."
"Plaintiffs were subjected to an ongoing, systematic racially hostile work environment including, but not limited to, disparate treatment with respect to discipline, reprimands and warnings, promotions, and assignment of duties," the suit states.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages. They are also asking the court to find that the company intentionally inflicted emotional distress.
US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:20-cv-00414