EDWARDSVILLE – A former Wal-Mart employee claims she was sexually harassed by a supervisor and then terminated for in retaliation reporting the alleged harassment.
Plaintiff Kaitlyn Fortner filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Wal-Mart Inc. and Albert Lee Crowe, Jr., citing sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation and seeking damages under the Illinois Human Rights Act.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff was hired by the defendant to work at a Wal-Mart store in Collinsville.
The lawsuit names Crowe as an employee of Wal-Mart and the plaintiff's direct supervisor. Fortner claims Crowe created a hostile work environment by subjecting her to unwanted sexual comments and actions, humiliation, and inappropriate and uninvited touching.
Fortner claims she reported the behavior to her other supervisors, but the harassment by Crowe allegedly continued, the suit states. She claims she was eventually terminated from her position at the company in retaliation for reporting Crowe's behavior.
The plaintiff alleges that because of the harassment, she has endured emotional distress, mental anguish, pain, suffering, and lost wages, benefits and future earnings.
Fortner is requesting a jury trial to seek damages in excess of $50,000, plus interest, court costs, attorney fees and any other relief the court deems proper. She is represented in this case by attorney Michael J. Brunton of Brunton Law Offices, P.C. in Collinsville.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 2022LA001441