EAST ST. LOUIS — An international logistics and supply management company with more than 10 facilities in Illinois, is facing a class action alleging it illegally collected employees' biometric data.
Zyanne Garner, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed a complaint April 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois East St. Louis Division against Geodis USA LLC, Geodis Logistics LLC frequently known as Ozburn Hessey Logistics LLC and Geodis Transportation LLC frequently known as Ozburn-Hessey Logistics LLC and OHL Transportation alleging violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Garner alleges in the class action that she began working for the defendants in September of 2018 through May 2019, at its Geodis facility on Gateway Commerce Center Drive in Edwardsville. She claims she and other employees were required to use their fingerprint scanner to clock in and out of work on the company's time keeping system.
Garner further claims she never consented or gave permission to have her biometric data collected and stored and that the defendants never provided employees with a "retention schedule" or guidelines for the destruction of their biometric information. Garner alleges the defendants "failed to comply" with BIPA mandates regarding the collection and storage of the employee fingerprint scans which compromised their biometric data.
Garner and the class seek monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Gary Klinger of Mason Lietz & Klinger LLP in Chicago and Gary Mason and David Lietz of Mason Lietz & Klinger LLP in Washington, D.C.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois East St. Louis Division case number 3:21-CV-00382-MAB.