A recently filed federal lawsuit details allegations that an employee was subjected to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace after requesting accommodations for her disabilities and reporting unfair treatment related to her race and national origin. The complaint was filed by Valdete Mahmudi in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on March 19, 2026, naming Perfect Plastic Printing Corp. as the defendant.
According to court documents, Mahmudi worked for Perfect Plastic Printing Corp. from January 9, 2017 until her termination on February 9, 2026. She began as an Auditor before transitioning into a Quality Control Specialist role. Her responsibilities included inspecting plastic payment cards for quality compliance and collaborating with production teams to meet regulatory standards.
The complaint states that Mahmudi is an immigrant from Albania who suffers from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), conditions that she alleges substantially limit her major life activities. Mahmudi asserts that these disabilities make her a “qualified individual” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She claims that throughout her employment she was treated differently than employees outside her protected classes of disability, race, and national origin.
Mahmudi describes a work environment where Indian employees and supervisors were predominant. She alleges frequent antagonism and intimidation by Indian coworkers and notes similar treatment toward other non-Indian employees. The filing highlights an incident in 2025 when a supervisor announced that only Gujarati or English should be spoken at work—an action Mahmudi says contributed to a hostile environment.
The complaint further reports that Mahmudi repeatedly brought concerns about harassment and discriminatory treatment to management and human resources but received no corrective response. As a result of this ongoing situation, she states her mental health deteriorated significantly, leading her to take leave under the Family Medical Leave Act in June 2025 for therapy related to workplace stress.
Upon returning to work in September 2025, Mahmudi informed management of her disability status and requested accommodations recommended by her physician: placement at an edge position on the production line to reduce stress; respect for personal space; and communication of work orders in English rather than through gestures or other languages. While these accommodations were initially acknowledged by management, Mahmudi alleges they were soon disregarded by both supervisors and coworkers.
The lawsuit details further incidents where coworkers spoke to Mahmudi in various Indian dialects despite her requests for English communication. She also claims she was mocked about her national origin when colleagues called her “Valdete Patel.” After raising complaints about these issues again, Mahmudi says she faced increased scrutiny before being terminated on February 9, 2026. According to the filing, she was told she was being let go because she was “not getting along with other coworkers” and was escorted out by security.
Mahmudi’s legal claims include multiple counts under federal law: disability-based discrimination; failure to accommodate; disability-based harassment; retaliation under the ADA; race-based discrimination under Section 1981; race-based discrimination and harassment under Title VII; national origin-based discrimination and harassment under Title VII; as well as retaliation for reporting such conduct.
The plaintiff argues that she met or exceeded performance expectations throughout her employment but suffered adverse actions—including termination—as a direct result of requesting accommodations or reporting discriminatory behavior. The complaint asserts employer liability due to alleged failures in addressing reported incidents or preventing recurrence.
As relief from the court, Mahmudi seeks back pay with interest, front pay, compensation for lost benefits, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, as well as any additional relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Attorneys Yasmeen Elagha and Mohammed O. Badwan of Sulaiman Law Group represent Valdete Mahmudi in this case (Case No. 1:26-cv-03103).
Source: 126cv03103_Valdete_Mahmudi_v_Perfect_Plastic_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
