A former employee has filed a lawsuit accusing Chewy of racial discrimination and retaliation.
Joseph Martinez filed his complaint in federal court against Chewy, a Florida-based online retailer of pet food and other pet-related products.
According to the complaint, Martinez is a Hispanic male with a medium complexion. He says he was employed by Chewy from March 6, 2020, to January 30, 2023, serving as a supervisor on the "Tiger Team Escalation" group.
Despite consistently receiving positive performance reviews and being the top performer on his team for several months in 2022, Martinez claims he was repeatedly overlooked for promotions.
In October 2022, Martinez says he applied for a senior-level position but was passed over in favor of a less experienced white candidate. This occurred despite Martinez meeting Chewy's stated requirement of at least one year's experience in a "Tiger Team" position before consideration for promotion.
Martinez claims Chewy's interview process was a sham designed to cover its discriminatory hiring practices. He also claims that after filing an initial Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on December 1, 2022, he faced illegal retaliatory action from the company.