ST. LOUIS – A former employee of the city of St. Louis alleges he was subjected to harassment and discrimination before he was terminated.
Todd Cole filed a complaint on Nov. 5 in the St. Louis Circuit Court against the city of St. Louis, the Civil Service Commission of the city of St. Louis, et al. alleging violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff is older than 40, has one eye, and began working for the city in 2015. The suit states he was injured while working in March 2016 by a backhoe bucket and filed a workers' compensation claim. The suit states he missed 105 days of work as a result and returned to light duty work in September 2016. He later took Family and Medical Leave Act leave in 2017 and alleges when he returned, he was assigned to a new work crew that harassed him because of his age and disabilities.
The suit states he was terminated Sept. 29, 2017, after reporting harassment and discrimination.
The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible because the defendants allegedly discriminated against him and harassed him because of his age and physical limitations and retaliated against and discharged him for complaining of the same.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory and punitive damages in an amount of more than $25,000, costs, attorney's fees and any additional relief as the court may deem proper and just. He is represented by Kevin J. Kasper and Ryan P. Schellert of Kasper Law Firm LLC in St. Charles.
St. Louis Circuit Court case number 1822-11566