EAST ST. LOUIS — An African American woman alleges she faced discrimination and retaliation while working as a project manager for the Kemper Corporation.
Carla Williams filed a complaint Oct. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Kemper Corporation alleging retaliation, sexual discrimination and other claims.
According to her complaint, Williams is an African American female over age 40 who worked for Kemper as a project manager. She alleges that she was required to "train herself" while her white, male counterparts received training by the company. She also claims she was excluded from meetings and denied a transfer while other non-black employees were allowed to transfer within Kemper.
Williams claims her complaints to the Kemper Human Resources Department were rebuffed and that she was terminated in August 2019. She alleges she suffered discrimination based on her sex, color, race and age in violation of her federally protected rights, which caused her to suffer both emotional and financial damages.
Williams seeks monetary relief, trial by jury 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-01341-NJR