A former employee has filed a lawsuit accusing Ross Dress for Less of racial discrimination and retaliation.
Nicole Ross filed her complaint in federal court against the company.
According to the complaint, Ross worked as a retail associate from April 2016 until her termination in December 2022. During her employment, she alleges she was subjected to derogatory comments and negative treatment based on her race.
Despite her efforts to maintain a positive relationship with everyone at work and performing her duties well enough to be recognized as an "employee of the month," Ross says she endured various incidents evincing racial discrimination.
The complaint details an incident where Ross's manager, identified only as David, introduced her to a new supervisor named Valerie. During this introduction, David allegedly stated that there would be more frequent pay raises except for Ross. She also claims David expressed a desire to get rid of Ross in front of Valerie.
Following this incident, Ross claims she saw a persistent reduction in the number of hours she was scheduled to work. She believes these actions were racially motivated and retaliatory.
Ross previously had filed a timely charge of employment discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which issued her a right to sue the company.