PHILADELPHIA — Johnson & Johnson is facing suit from a former warehouse employee who claims he endured racial slurs, threats of physical violence and retaliation.
Jonathan Jones filed a complaint Aug. 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., alleging Title VII violations and other claims.
Jones, an African-American male, began working for Johnson & Johnson as a warehouse associate at the company's Fort Washington facility in May of 2017, according to his complaint. Jones alleges that when his co-worker Emanuel Rodriguez was promoted and became his supervisor, he began to suffer unlawful discrimination including Rodriguez shouting profanities at him, physically threatening him and calling him a "big monkey" while making hand and arm gestures.
Jones further alleges that in retaliation for his complaints to human resources, he was terminated on July 31, 2020, over a false allegation he made a sexual comment to Rodriguez. He claims no one at Johnson & Johnson addressed his discrimination complaints or enforced the company's policy against discrimination. Jones received a right to sue from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on May 28, 2021, according to his suit.
Jones seeks monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by Ryan Hancock of Willig, Williams & Davidson in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:21-CV-03782-PD