In the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois, Benton Division, Patricia Graves has filed a lawsuit against Jackpot, Inc., doing business as McDonald's. The case, identified as 3:24-cv-01259 and filed on May 9th, 2024, alleges that the defendant discriminated against the plaintiff based on her disability, engaged in disability-based harassment, and retaliated against her for engaging in protected activity under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
Patricia Graves was employed by Jackpot Inc. as a Grill Cook from December 7th, 2023. She suffers from mental impairments including PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression and schizoid effectiveness as well as physical impairments such as degenerative discs and irritable bowel syndrome. Despite these impairments, she was able to perform her job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
After disclosing her disabilities to her employer and requesting reasonable accommodation for doctor’s appointments related to her conditions, Graves claims that management staff began openly discriminating against her. Two managers named Kendra and Courtney allegedly mocked Graves' disabilities by calling her "crazy" and other infractions. Furthermore, despite communicating her availability for work after January 3rd, 2024, she was only scheduled for one day a week.
Graves is seeking redress under the ADA for discrimination based on disability and retaliation. She had previously filed a charge of employment discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and received a Notice of Right to Sue within ninety days of receipt.