The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against a prominent roofing company, accusing it of creating a hostile work environment based on race and sex, as well as retaliating against an employee who complained about racial harassment. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on November 21, 2025, targeting Anthony Roofing Tecta America LLC and its parent company, Tecta America Corp.
According to the EEOC’s filing, Anthony Roofing and Tecta America have allegedly engaged in discriminatory practices since at least November 2019. The complaint accuses these companies of subjecting Black employees to racial slurs and offensive comments from both supervisory and non-supervisory staff. One vice president is specifically named for routinely using derogatory terms such as “n*gger” and “slave” towards Black employees. Female employees were also reportedly subjected to sexual harassment, including inappropriate comments about their bodies and sexually suggestive remarks made by the same vice president.
The EEOC claims that despite numerous reports of harassment to supervisors and human resources personnel at both Anthony Roofing and Tecta America, no adequate measures were taken to address or prevent further misconduct. In one instance, after an employee reported racial harassment directly to Tecta America’s Director of Human Resources, no action was taken. Instead, the harassment continued unabated.
In addition to claims of racial and sexual harassment, the lawsuit alleges that one Black employee was constructively discharged in retaliation for opposing racial discrimination. This employee reportedly faced threats and unwelcome physical contact that created intolerable working conditions, ultimately leading him to resign.
The EEOC is seeking several forms of relief from the court. These include permanent injunctions preventing further discriminatory practices based on race or sex; orders requiring the defendants to implement policies ensuring equal employment opportunities; compensation for affected individuals’ pecuniary losses; punitive damages for malicious conduct; backpay with interest; reinstatement or front pay in lieu of reinstatement for those constructively discharged; and coverage of legal costs incurred by the EEOC.
Representing the EEOC are attorneys Catherine Eschbach from Washington D.C., Gregory Gochanour from Chicago, Justin Mulaire also from Chicago, Leslie N. Carter from Milwaukee, and Tina Burnside from Minneapolis. The case is identified under Case ID: 1:25-cv-14252.
Source: 125cv14252_US_Equal_v_Anthony_Roofing_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
