EAST ST. LOUIS — A former vice president with Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House claims she was terminated in retaliation for disclosing "inappropriate financial practices."
Reona Wise filed a complaint Oct. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, alleging sexual, racial, color and age discrimination.
According to the complaint, Wise is an African American female over age 40 and began working for the defendants on May 1, 2016. She claims she was eventually appointed vice president of early childhood programs. She claims that in April 2017, she began to face retaliation for disclosing "inappropriate financial practices of management," including the alleged embezzlement of more than a quarter million dollars. She also claims she was told that "if she were to get pregnant again," then she would be terminated.
In October 2017, Wise claims she was wrongfully placed on administrative leave without pay and put in a "performance improvement plan" and eventually fired in August 2018.
Wise further claims she was treated differently than male and non-African American employees.
She alleges that as a result of the defendant's discrimination and retaliation, she lost promotion opportunities, suffered embarrassment and lost compensation from grants she was awarded. The EEOC issued Wise a right to sue on July 29.
Wise seeks monetary and all other just relief. She is represented by Larry Fields of Fields and Associates LLC in St. Louis.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:21-CV-0165-GCS