A Chicago woman with a pending robbery case is suing Target, accusing the retail giant of violating Illinois civil rights law by rescinding a conditional job offer after discovering her unresolved criminal case.
Courtney McElrath-Bey, 35, claims the company unlawfully used her background against her when it decided not to hire her for a warehouse position last year. Her lawsuit, filed in February and first reported by Legal Newsline, seeks damages and could expand to cover other applicants who were denied jobs under similar circumstances.
According to the complaint, Target extended McElrath-Bey a conditional offer in October for a job described as an “order picker or warehouse associate” contingent on the results of a background check.
The screening reportedly revealed pending criminal charges against McElrath-Bey and the company sent her what the lawsuit describes as a “Pre-Adverse Action Notification,” informing her that the background check had identified the unresolved charges.
In March 2024, prosecutors charged McElrath-Bey with robbery and aggravated battery, saying she was one of the offenders who mugged a 30-year-old woman in the 400 block of East 66th Street. She has pleaded not guilty and continues to fight the allegations in court.
McElrath-Bey’s lawsuit says she responded to the notification by explaining that the charges were still pending and that she had not been convicted of any crime. She also asserted that she was innocent of the accusations.
cwbchicago.com
Courtney McElrath-Bey, 35, claims the company unlawfully used her background against her when it decided not to hire her for a warehouse position last year. Her lawsuit, filed in February and first reported by Legal Newsline, seeks damages and could expand to cover other applicants who were denied jobs under similar circumstances.
According to the complaint, Target extended McElrath-Bey a conditional offer in October for a job described as an “order picker or warehouse associate” contingent on the results of a background check.
The screening reportedly revealed pending criminal charges against McElrath-Bey and the company sent her what the lawsuit describes as a “Pre-Adverse Action Notification,” informing her that the background check had identified the unresolved charges.
In March 2024, prosecutors charged McElrath-Bey with robbery and aggravated battery, saying she was one of the offenders who mugged a 30-year-old woman in the 400 block of East 66th Street. She has pleaded not guilty and continues to fight the allegations in court.
McElrath-Bey’s lawsuit says she responded to the notification by explaining that the charges were still pending and that she had not been convicted of any crime. She also asserted that she was innocent of the accusations.
Woman sues Target for not hiring her because she has a pending robbery case - CWB Chicago
A Chicago woman with a pending robbery case is suing Target, accusing the retail giant of violating Illinois civil rights law by rescinding a conditional job offer after discovering her unresolved criminal case.
cwbchicago.com
