KANSAS CITY — A former employee of Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of gender-based discrimination and creating a hostile work environment.
Crystal Belt claims she was subjected to persistent harassment and unequal treatment during her employment, leading to her eventual termination in November 2023, according to a complaint filed Oct. 17 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Belt, who was hired as a service advisor in May 2022, claims that from early on in her tenure, she was repeatedly harassed by both coworkers and managers.
The harassment, she claims, was based on her gender, with colleagues frequently discouraging her from working in the service shop, an area deemed inappropriate for women.
Belt was criticized for performing oil changes because "the shop was where the boys worked," and she was assigned nearly all of the paperwork, with her supervisors suggesting that men were not suited for such tasks, according to the complaint.
In addition to the unequal division of labor, Belt alleges that she was the subject of a false rumor, spread by her coworkers, that she was romantically involved with a newly hired mechanic.
Instead of addressing the rumor, her managers reportedly participated in the workplace harassment.
On Nov. 15, 2023, Belt's employment was terminated. She claims she had not received any prior write-ups or formal discipline.
Love’s cited several mistakes on phone calls, including refusing a road call due to staffing concerns and misspeaking about the store's closing time, as the reasons for her dismissal, according to the suit.
However, Belt contends that male employees had made similar errors without facing termination or disciplinary action.
Belt's lawsuit includes two counts — sex discrimination and a hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
She claims that her termination was unjust and the result of unlawful discrimination, pointing out that her male colleagues were not disciplined in the same manner.
She also claims that Love’s created and tolerated a hostile work environment by allowing and participating in the harassment she faced.
Belt claims that Love’s conduct was willful and reckless.
"The facts and circumstances of Plaitniff’s termination, which occurred after months of sexual harassment by her coworkers and managers, Love’s limiting her work opportunities based on her gender, and the fact that she was terminated without prior discipline for the types of infractions that her male coworkers were not terminated for, create an inference that Crystal’s termination was a result of unlawful sex discrimination," the complaint states.
Love’s treatment of Belt was severe and pervasive enough to alter the terms and conditions of her employment, the complaint states.
"Love’s subjected Plaintiff to a hostile work environment based on her gender when it subjected her to persistent sexual harassment and sexual comments and unjustifiably limited her work opportunities based on her gender," the complaint states. "Plaintiff’s managers at Love’s tolerated this harassment and limitation of opportunities, refused to take action to stop it, and at times participated in it."
Belt is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented by Kevin A. Todd, Brad K. Thoenen and W. Glenn Winfrey of HKM Employment Attorneys LLP in Kansas City.
Attorneys declined to comment on the matter.
U.S. District Court or the Western District of Missouri case number: 4:24-cv-00677