A group of employees has filed a class-action lawsuit against their former employer, alleging unpaid wages and violations of labor laws. The complaint was filed by Nicoline Kholamian and Nicole Teltoe on November 13, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Community Counseling Centers of Chicago, Inc., and several individual defendants associated with the organization.
The plaintiffs, Kholamian and Teltoe, claim that they were not paid their due wages for regular and overtime work as mandated by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL), and the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA). They allege that despite working diligently for Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4), they were either underpaid or received delayed payments. The last known payday for C4 employees was September 15, 2025, covering work done until August 9, 2025. However, no final compensation has been made to separated employees since then.
Kholamian began her employment with C4 in July 2024 on an hourly basis until November 7, 2025. Teltoe worked from March 2024 until October 7, 2025. Both plaintiffs assert that C4 failed to pay them and other similarly situated employees on time or at all for certain periods. They argue that this conduct is a breach of federal and state wage laws. “Defendants have expected Plaintiffs…to work without pay,” states the complaint, highlighting a systemic issue within C4’s payment practices.
The plaintiffs are seeking various forms of relief from the court. They demand compensatory damages including all owed wages and overtime pay along with liquidated damages under FLSA provisions. Additionally, they seek treble damages under IMWL for unpaid minimum wages and overtime wages as well as statutory penalties under IWPCA for failing to compensate them at agreed-upon rates. The lawsuit also calls for reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred during litigation.
Representing Kholamian and Teltoe are attorneys Elizabeth M. Al-Dajani from Kerkonian Dajani LLP along with James X. Bormes from his law office in Chicago. The case is identified as Case No: 1:25-cv-13942 before an unnamed judge in the Northern District of Illinois.
Source: 125cv13942_Nicole_Kholamian_v_Community_Counseling_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
