PHILADELPHIA—A Philadelphia County woman says she was fired from her janitorial job with SBM because of her race.
Marlene Gilles-Reveil filed a lawsuit on Jan. 12 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against SBM Management Services, doing business as SBM, alleging civil rights violations.
According to the complaint, Gilles-Reveil, a black, Haitian female, worked at the defendant’s Fort Washington locations beginning in 2006. Over the years, the suit says she heard the defendant make disparaging remarks toward non-American workers.
In addition, the suit claims non-American workers were scrutinized, held to higher standards than other employees, and recorded or photographed without consent. After she and other co-workers complained to management of the alleged mistreatment several times, Gilles-Reveil says she was terminated in February 2015.
Gilles-Reveil seeks a jury trial, and punitive and compensatory damages. She is represented by attorney Ari R. Karpf of Karpf, Karpf & Cerutti P.C. in Bensalem.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:16-cv-00122