A department director for the University of Illinois Chicago can continue with her hostile work environment and retaliation claim against her employer, but can only cite the university’s alleged misconduct from August 2022, or 300 days after she initially filed her complaint under Illinois law, a federal judge ruled last week.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge April M. Perry of the Northern District of Illinois said she largely denied the university’s motion to dismiss because plaintiff Debra Matlock adequately supported her claims of employment discrimination while working as the director of the university’s purchasing and contract management department. Matlock, a Black woman, claimed she encountered a hostile work environment, and she was allegedly told to tone down her “aggressive demeanor.” Colleagues attempted to force her into an early retirement, and she was not provided promotions or compensation equal to her experience and work effort, according to her complaint.
