ST. LOUIS — A former janitor is suing St. Louis University after he claims he was unlawfully retaliated against during his employment.
Paul Dennis, a former janitor at SLU, claimed unlawful retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, according to a complaint initially filed in St. Louis City Circuit Court and removed to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri-Eastern Division on Sept. 27.
Dennis claims that he was constructively terminated after reporting incidents of racial discrimination and harassment by SLU employees.
Dennis, an African American man, claims he experienced racial discrimination at SLU in September and October 2023.
Among the incidents he reported were verbal attacks by SLU employees, including one encounter in which a colleague spoke to him in a demeaning and condescending manner while Dennis was using his phone in a break room, according to the suit.
Dennis claims in another instance, a false report was allegedly made to SLU’s Department of Public Safety, claiming that he was carrying a gun on campus.
The plaintiff reported the incidents to SLU’s human resources department and requested an internal investigation, the complaint states.
Dennis claims before these complaints, he had no issues related to his job performance.
However, after SLU’s investigation concluded that no discrimination had occurred, Dennis alleges that the university began retaliating against him.
In April Dennis was called into an unexpected meeting with human resources and his union representative, according to the suit.
Dennis claims during the meeting, he was allegedly presented with false accusations of poor job performance, which he claims were intended to disrupt his work.
The plaintiff walked out of the meeting in protest, and shortly afterward, Dennis claims he was constructively discharged.
Dennis claims that the university's actions amounted to unlawful retaliation for his reporting of racial harassment.
Dennis claims that his race was a motivating factor in the decision to terminate him and that SLU treated him differently and less favorably than other employees as a result.
In his lawsuit, Dennis claims that SLU created a hostile work environment and condoned the discriminatory actions of its employees.
"By retaliating against Plaintiff in creating a hostile work environment, SLU—in effect—condoned, ratified, and/or authorized the aforementioned actions against Plaintiff, and constituted unlawful employment practice under Title VII," the complaint states. "As a direct and proximate result of the foregoing, Plaintiff suffered retaliation perpetrated by SLU—in violation of Title VII’s Unlawful Employment Practices."
As a result of his termination, Dennis claims to have suffered significant financial losses, including lost wages and future retirement earnings.
Dennis claims he experienced emotional distress, anxiety, humiliation and loss of enjoyment of life.
"As a direct result of SLU’s retaliatory practices, described herein, Plaintiff has sustained and continues to sustain damages, including but not limited to, economic loss in the form of lost wages and benefits of employment, future lost wages and earnings, future retirement earnings, emotional pain, suffering, humiliation, anxiety, dread, loss of sleep, inconvenience, embarrassment, and loss of enjoyment of life," the complaint states.
Dennis is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is represented by Matthew Ndonwi of Ndonwi Law in St. Louis.
The defendant is represented by Travis R. Kearbey and L. Michelle Lewis of Quarles & Brady in Clayton.
Attorneys for the parties did not respond to requests for comments.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri-Eastern Division case number: 4:24-cv-01305