A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a major e-commerce company, alleging discrimination and retaliation linked to her pregnancy. Sherlyah Steward initiated the complaint on November 25, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Amazon.com Services, LLC. Steward accuses the company of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act by discriminating against her based on sex and pregnancy.
The lawsuit details that Steward was employed as a forklift driver from October 28, 2024, until her termination on December 27, 2024. During her employment at Amazon’s Joliet location, she claims to have experienced discriminatory treatment after informing Human Resources about her pregnancy following an incident where she felt lightheaded and nauseous. Despite being cleared by her doctor to return to work without limitations, Steward alleges that Amazon reassigned her from operating a forklift to working on the dock due to her pregnancy. Shortly thereafter, she was terminated for “idle time,” a reason she contends was never adequately explained.
Steward argues that this sequence of events constitutes sex-based harassment and discrimination under Title VII and failure to accommodate under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. She asserts that her termination was directly related to her pregnancy and subsequent request for accommodations. Furthermore, she claims that Amazon failed to conduct a thorough investigation into her complaints of discrimination and did not take necessary steps to prevent further occurrences.
In seeking justice, Steward requests various forms of relief from the court. These include back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, loss of benefits compensation, reasonable attorney fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Sherlyah Steward are attorneys Nathan C. Volheim and Sophia K. Steere from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard, Illinois. The case is filed under Case ID: 1:25-cv-14386 in front of an unspecified judge.
Source: 125cv14386_Sherlyah_Steward_v_Amazon_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
