In a striking lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, three former employees have accused their employer of fostering a racially hostile work environment. On November 10, 2025, Nicolas A. Pippin, Alexander Vasquez, and Sergio Avila Jr. lodged a complaint against Daubert Chemical Company, Inc., alleging racial discrimination and retaliation under federal and state laws.
The plaintiffs, represented by attorneys Peter T. Sadelski and Edward M. Fox from Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd., assert that they were subjected to an abusive work atmosphere due to their Latino, Hispanic, and Puerto Rican heritage. According to the complaint, from the onset of their employment—Avila in May 2023 and Pippin and Vasquez in September 2023—they faced derogatory remarks from Caucasian supervisors and colleagues who used racial slurs such as “beaners,” “spics,” “cartel members,” and other offensive terms. The plaintiffs allege that these actions violated 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and the Illinois Human Rights Act.
The allegations further describe how some supervisors openly boasted about affiliations with the Ku Klux Klan and made disparaging jokes at the expense of ethnic minorities. In one instance, a supervisor repeated a derogatory joke about Puerto Rico heard at a political rally, while another made demeaning comments about Vasquez’s hair texture. The plaintiffs also recount threats of violence should they visit certain areas described as “sundown towns.”
Despite reporting these incidents multiple times to Daubert Chemical Company’s management, no corrective action was taken; instead, all three plaintiffs were terminated—Pippin and Vasquez on January 2, 2025, followed by Avila on January 7, 2025. The lawsuit claims this termination was retaliatory in nature due to their complaints about the hostile environment.
In seeking justice through this lawsuit (Case No. 25-cv-13739), Pippin, Vasquez, and Avila are demanding compensation for emotional distress, humiliation, lost wages, punitive damages for willful misconduct by Daubert Chemical Company’s staff, as well as coverage for legal fees incurred during this process.
The case is presided over by Judge [Name not provided], with representation for the plaintiffs being handled by attorneys Peter T. Sadelski and Edward M. Fox from Ed Fox & Associates Ltd., based in Chicago.
Source: 125cv13739_Nicolas_A_Pippin_v_Daubert_Chemical_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
