A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major jewelry retailer, alleging systemic discrimination and harassment. Leonard Slaughter filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois on June 25, 2024, accusing Sterling Jewelers, Inc., doing business as Kay Jewelers, of race-based and sex-based discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
According to the complaint, Slaughter worked as a sales representative for Sterling Jewelers from May 12, 2012, until December 16, 2023. During his tenure, he claims he was subjected to different terms and conditions of employment compared to his colleagues who were not part of his protected class. Despite consistently outperforming his peers in sales over more than a decade, Slaughter alleges he was repeatedly overlooked for promotions and fair compensation. "Plaintiff routinely saw employees outside of their protected class... receive substantially higher pay and advance within the company after only a year or two of service," the complaint states.
Slaughter first reported issues related to racial discrimination to human resources in January 2020 but refrained from pursuing it further due to fears of retaliation. However, by September 2023, he felt compelled to file another complaint addressing both sex and racial discrimination due to an increasingly hostile work environment. The plaintiff asserts that despite his complaints and dedication to the company, he was advised by a district manager to seek opportunities elsewhere when he raised concerns about discriminatory practices.
The lawsuit details how Slaughter was allegedly forced out of his job under false pretenses. On December 16, 2023, following a confrontation with management regarding his grievances, Slaughter's manager reportedly stated: "no that's it! I receive your resignation you can go," despite Slaughter explicitly stating that he had not resigned. This incident led to what Slaughter describes as an unlawful termination based on race and sex.
In addition to claiming wrongful termination, Slaughter accuses Sterling Jewelers of retaliating against him for opposing unlawful discrimination and exercising his protected rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He also alleges that before reporting these issues, he had never received any disciplinary actions from the company.
Slaughter is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress and humiliation suffered due to discriminatory practices. He also requests reasonable attorneys' fees and costs associated with bringing this lawsuit forward.
Representing Leonard Slaughter is attorney Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while the case will be presided over by judges assigned within the Southern District of Illinois under Case ID: 3:24-cv-01589.