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Case Name
EEOC v. Custom Companies
EE-IL-0062
Docket / Court
1:02-cv-03768 ( N.D. Ill. )
State/Territory
Illinois
Case Type(s)
Equal Employment
Special Collection
EEOC Study -- in sample
Attorney Organization
EEOC
Case Summary
In May of 2002, the EEOC's Chicago District Office filed suit in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, against Custom Companies Inc., a trucking company, and related corporate entities. The suit alleged sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of Title VII.
The ...
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In May of 2002, the EEOC's Chicago District Office filed suit in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, against Custom Companies Inc., a trucking company, and related corporate entities. The suit alleged sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of Title VII.
The charging parties intervened as plaintiffs. In July of 2003, the case was consolidated with a separate action brought by the EEOC against Custom Companies (1:03-cv-02293). The defendants made multiple motions for summary judgment; one was granted in part, the others were denied. After a prologued series of discovery disputes, the case went to trial in November of 2006. On November 17, 2006, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding over $2 million in punitive damages and over $300,000 in compensatory damages. In March of 2007, the award was halved pursuant to statutory caps, and the court entered the judgment against the defendants.
Both parties moved to amend the judgment. In June of 2007, the defendants appealed the judgment. In December of 2007, the parties came to terms, and the Court of Appeals remanded the case so that the district court could amend the judgment to reflect the settlement. After some disputes regarding withholding, a final order was entered in March of 2008 granting $452,800 in compensatory and punitive damages and $900,000 in attorney fees. Custom Companies was also ordered to conduct annual anti-discrimination training for its employees, and to report any future complaints of sexual harassment to the EEOC.
On June 19, 2008, Judge Harry Leinenweber signed an order indicating that the plaintiffs, plaintiff-intervenors, and counsel had all been paid in full, and the matter appears to have been resolved.
Jason Chester - 06/04/2008
Alexandra Gilewicz - 03/25/2018
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Affected Gender
Female
Content of Injunction
Discrimination Prohibition
Expungement of Employment Record
Monitoring
Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law
Provide antidiscrimination training
Recordkeeping
Reporting
Retaliation Prohibition
Discrimination-area
Demotion
Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff
Discipline
Harassment / Hostile Work Environment
Hiring
Other Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc)
Pay / Benefits
Promotion
Discrimination-basis
Sex discrimination
EEOC-centric
Direct Suit on Merits
Private Party intervened in EEOC suit
General
Disparate Treatment
Pattern or Practice
Retaliation
Plaintiff Type
EEOC Plaintiff
Private Plaintiff
Causes of Action
Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. ยง 2000e
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
CDN Logistics, Inc.
Custom Companies, Inc.
Custom Distribution Network, Inc.
Custom Executive Group, Inc.
Plaintiff Description
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on behalf of two workers.
Indexed Lawyer Organizations
EEOC
Class action status sought
No
Class action status granted
No
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
Damages
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
2007 - 2009
Filed
05/28/2002
Case Closing Year
2009
Case Ongoing
No
Related Cases
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Case Listing
EE-IL-0063
: EEOC v. CUSTOM COMPANIES (N.D. Ill.)
Additional Resources
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Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
N.D. Ill.
02/17/2011
1:02-cv-03768
EE-IL-0062-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
N.D. Ill.
05/28/2002
Complaint
EE-IL-0062-0001.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
08/20/2002
Plaintiffs-Intervenors' Complaint
EE-IL-0062-0002.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
03/10/2004
First Amended Complaint
EE-IL-0062-0003.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
04/07/2004
Memorandum Opinion and Order [Motions to Limit the Class in Case Nos. 02-C-3768 and 03-C-2293]
(2004 WL 765891)
EE-IL-0062-0004.pdf
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WESTLAW
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
07/21/2004
Memorandum Opinion and Order [EEOC's Motion for Entry of a Protective Order and Motion to Compel]
EE-IL-0062-0005.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
07/23/2004
Second Amended Complaint
EE-IL-0062-0006.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
10/23/2006
Memorandum Opinion and Order [Motion for Summary Judgment]
EE-IL-0062-0008.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
10/26/2006
Memorandum Opinion and Order
(2006 WL 3087104)
EE-IL-0062-0019.pdf
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WESTLAW
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Detail
not recorded
11/17/2006
EEOC Press Release
EE-IL-0062-0009.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
03/08/2007
Memorandum Opinion and Order [Entering Final Judgment]
(2007 WL 734395)
EE-IL-0062-0010.pdf
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WESTLAW
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Detail
not recorded
03/08/2007
EEOC Press Release
EE-IL-0062-0011.pdf
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Detail
N.D. Ill.
06/21/2007
Memorandum Opinion and Order [Granting in Part and Denying in Part Reconsideration] [ECF# 163]
(2007 WL 1810495)
EE-IL-0062-0015.pdf
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WESTLAW
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
U.S. Court of Appeals
12/27/2007
USCA Mandate [Ct. of App. ECF# 189]
EE-IL-0062-0016.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
N.D. Ill.
03/06/2008
Modified Injunction Order [ECF# 211]
EE-IL-0062-0017.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
People
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Judges
Leinenweber, Harry Daniel
(N.D. Ill.)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Brennan, Noelle Christine
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Hamilton, Deborah Lois
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Hendrickson, John C.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Miller, Beth A.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Mrizek, Richard John
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Defendant's Lawyers
Bent, Jason Robert
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Colling, Daniel P.
(Michigan)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Connolly, Walter B. Jr.
(Michigan)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Dasso, James Daniel
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Epstein, Bennett L.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Epstein, David A.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Gianos Walker, Diane E.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Hunt, Keith L.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Kawashima, Karen Ann
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Kopp, Jeffrey S.
(Michigan)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Libman, Stephen Matthew
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
MacDonald, Dana Elizabeth
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Phillips, Eric M.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Trucco, Michael T.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Other Lawyers
Denis, Martin K.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Feldman, Maureen Kay
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Hilbert, Bethany A.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Huebsch-Lynott, Jessica E.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Madock, Daniel R.
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
Robbins, Michael David
(Illinois)
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EE-IL-0062-9000
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