John Crispeno has filed an employment discrimination complaint against Cox Enterprises, Inc. and Cox Automotive Corporate Services, LLC. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on May 21, 2024.
Crispeno alleges that he faced discrimination and a hostile work environment based on his sex and age, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). He claims that after joining Cox in August 2000 and serving until May 2023, he experienced a series of discriminatory actions primarily driven by his female supervisors. Crispeno asserts that his job responsibilities were unjustly reduced and transferred to younger female colleagues, specifically citing an incident in April 2022 when half of his team was reassigned to Katie Thompson, a less experienced employee.
Crispeno's allegations include being excluded from after-hours relationship-building activities that were exclusive to female employees and facing aggressive criticism from female managers. In April 2022, he filed a formal complaint through Cox’s Ethics Portal regarding sex and age discrimination but claims it was dismissed without adequate investigation. Subsequently, Crispeno states he faced retaliation for raising these concerns—evidenced by unwarranted negative performance reviews, a written warning for unspecified policy violations, and ultimately termination on May 15, 2023.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for economic loss, emotional distress, liquidated damages under ADEA provisions, punitive damages under Title VII provisions, as well as other relief deemed appropriate by the court. He also requests injunctive relief to prevent future violations by Cox.
Representing John Crispeno is Rahul Munshi from Console Mattiacci Law LLC. The case is assigned Case ID: 5:24-cv-0217 before Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr.