Plaintiffs allege auto repair company fostered racially hostile workplace

A lawsuit has been filed alleging a toxic workplace environment rife with racial harassment and retaliation. On February 22, 2026, William Kelly and Ian Gilliam filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against The Boyd Group (U.S.) Inc., doing business as Gerber Collision and Glass. The plaintiffs claim they were subjected to relentless racial harassment during their employment at Gerber’s Skokie facility.

According to the complaint, both William Kelly and Ian Gilliam, who are Black men, faced daily racial slurs and derogatory comments from colleagues while working at Gerber Collision and Glass. The lawsuit details numerous instances of abuse, including being called racial epithets like “niggers,” referred to as slaves, and subjected to other demeaning stereotypes. Despite management’s awareness of these incidents, no action was taken to address or halt the behavior. Kelly attempted to report this misconduct first to his manager and then escalated it to Human Resources when no action was taken. Following his complaint to HR, he was terminated the next day.

The legal action includes two counts: a hostile work environment claim brought by both Kelly and Gilliam under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, which addresses race-based discrimination in contracts; and a retaliation claim by Kelly alone for his termination after reporting the harassment. The plaintiffs argue that the persistent use of racial slurs created an intolerable work environment that altered their working conditions significantly. They further assert that Gerber acted with malice or reckless indifference towards their federally protected rights.

In terms of relief, Kelly and Gilliam are seeking back pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress and humiliation, punitive damages intended to punish Gerber for its violations of federal law, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, as well as coverage for legal costs and attorneys’ fees. They demand a jury trial to determine the extent of these damages.

The case is represented by attorney Francisco Fernandez Del Castillo from Del Castillo Law Group LLC. It is filed under Case ID 1:26-cv-01961 in front of judges yet unnamed in this document.