PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

A Stroudsburg, Pa. woman is suing Philadelphia-based Global Limousines

Network over claims that she was fired after only three months on the job because of her complaints of racially motivated harassment.

Gesile Holt filed suit in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on April 11 against the company and its owner, identified as Anthony Viscusi, over allegations that her firing in the fall of 2013 came after she complained about the disparate treatment she was receiving while at work strictly because she is black.

Holt, who worked as a dispatcher for the defendant, claims that during her employment, she was subjected to discriminatory treatment, which came in the form of taunting by coworkers and derogatory and discriminatory comments relating to her race.

The plaintiff says she was treated in a rude and condescending manner, verbally attacked and even physically attacked on occasion.

About two weeks before she was fired, Holt states that she complained to management about the treatment, but says nothing was done to address or remedy her allegations of mistreatment.

Instead, shortly after she aired her grievances, Holt says she was terminated for what the lawsuit calls “completely pretextual reasons.”

“Plaintiff therefore believes and avers that she was terminated from Defendant Entity because of her race and/or because of her complaints about race discrimination,” the complaint states.

The suit contains counts of racial discrimination and retaliation under federal law.

Holt seeks injunctive relief as well as unspecified monetary damages, costs, counsel fees and other relief.

She is being represented by Bensalem, Pa. attorney Ari R. Karpf.

 

The federal case number is 2:14-cv-02145.