Case: EEOC v. Pro-Pak Industries Inc.

1:01-cv-00552 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Filed Date: Jan. 26, 2001

Closed Date: Sept. 18, 2002

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Case Summary

In January 2001, the Chicago office of the EEOC brought this Title VII suit against Pro-Pak Industries, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint alleged that the defendant discriminated against the claimants by subjecting the claimants to a hostile working environment because of their race (black) and discharging the claimant in retaliation of their complaint. The claimants intervened in the EEOC's suit in May 2001. The case settled by entry of a c…

The 18 month consent decree required the defendant to refrain from discrimination and retaliation, pay the claimants a sum of $55,000, create an anti-discrimination policy, distribute the policy, post notice, provide training for all employees on EEO laws and the new policy, keep records of any complaints of discrimination and/or retaliation, and give the EEOC reports every six months of discrimination and/or retaliation complaints and the posting of notice.

Summary Authors

Lionel Joiner (6/25/2007)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/31963642/parties/eeoc-v-pro-pak-ind-inc/

Judge(s)

Gettleman, Robert William (Illinois)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Behar, Jose Jorge (Illinois)

Brennan, Noelle Christine (Illinois)

Dreilinger, Lauren G (Illinois)

Efird, Elisabeth Deirdre (Illinois)

Attorney for Defendant

Judge(s)

Gettleman, Robert William (Illinois)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Behar, Jose Jorge (Illinois)

Brennan, Noelle Christine (Illinois)

Dreilinger, Lauren G (Illinois)

Efird, Elisabeth Deirdre (Illinois)

Hendrickson, John C. (Illinois)

Vito, James C. (Illinois)

Attorney for Defendant

Kartholl, Robert James (Illinois)

Luetkehans, Phillip Anthony (Illinois)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Documents in this case

1:01-cv-00552	Docket EEOC v. Pro-Pak Industries Inc	Sept. 18, 2002	Sept. 18, 2002 Docket
1 1:01-cv-00552	Complaint EEOC v. Pro-Pak Industries Inc	Jan. 29, 2001	Jan. 29, 2001 Complaint
24 1:01-cv-00552	Consent Decree EEOC v. Pro-Pak Industries Inc	Sept. 18, 2002	Sept. 18, 2002 Settlement Agreement

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Resources

Resources related to this case
Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
Under the Radar: Visibility and the Effects of Discrimination Lawsuits in Small and Large Firms Carly Knight, Frank Dobbin, Alexandra Kalev	Research on how discrimination lawsuits affect corporate diversity has yielded mixed results. Qualitative studies highlight the limited efficacy of lawsuits in the typical workplace, finding that lit…	March 2022	April 1, 2022 https://cris.tau.ac.il/...

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/31963642/eeoc-v-pro-pak-ind-inc/

Last updated April 1, 2026, 5:29 a.m.

ECF Number	Date	Description	Link
1	Jan. 26, 2001	COMPLAINT; jury demand - Civil cover sheet - Appearance(s) of Noelle Christine Brennan, Jose Jorge Behar and John C. Hendrickson as attorney(s) for plaintiff EEOC (No summons(es) issued.) (Documents: 1-1 through 1-3) (hp) (Entered: 01/29/2001)	Clearinghouse
2	March 14, 2001	ATTORNEY APPEARANCE for defendant by Robert James Kartholl Jr. and Phillip Anthony Luetkehans ; Notice (las) (Entered: 03/15/2001)	RECAP
3	March 19, 2001	WAIVER of service of summons as to defendant sent on 1/29/01 (las) (Entered: 03/19/2001)	RECAP
4	April 2, 2001	ANSWER and affirmative defenses by defendant to complaint at law [1-1]; Notice (las) (Entered: 04/03/2001)	RECAP
	April 6, 2001	SCHEDULE set on 4/6/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing set to 9:00 5/3/01 . Status report due 4/26/01 . Judge's staff notice (gds)
5	April 12, 2001	LETTER from Christopher J. Lee to Judge Gettleman dated 4/11/01 (Attachments) (las) (Entered: 04/13/2001)	RECAP
6	April 26, 2001	JOINT STATUS REPORT by parties (las) (Entered: 04/30/2001)	RECAP
	May 3, 2001	SCHEDULE set on 5/3/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing held and continued to 9:00 10/18/01 . Discovery ordered closed on 11/21/01 . open court notice (gds)
7	May 9, 2001	MOTION by Oware and Asamoah to intervene ; Notice (las) (Entered: 05/31/2001)	RECAP
8	May 9, 2001	APPEARANCE for Kwaku Oware and Kofi Asamoah by James C. Vito and Elisbeth Shoenberger (las) (Entered: 05/31/2001)	RECAP
9	May 30, 2001	MINUTE ORDER of 5/30/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Motion of Oware and Asamoah to intervene [7-1] is entered and continued to 9:00 a.m. on 6/18/01. No notice. (las) (Entered: 05/31/2001)	RECAP
	May 31, 2001	MAILED Rule 3.14 letters to Attorneys James C. Vito and Elisabeth Shoenberger (las)
10	June 11, 2001	ATTORNEY APPEARANCE for intervenors plaintiff by James C. Vito and Elisabeth Shoenberger (las) (Entered: 06/12/2001)	RECAP
11	June 18, 2001	MINUTE ORDER of 6/18/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing set for 9:00 a.m. on 7/26/01. Motion of Kwaku Oware and Kofi Asamoah to intervene is granted [7-1], with the understanding that defendants can move to dismiss. Response to intervening complaint is due by 7/10/01. No notice. (las) (Entered: 06/26/2001)	RECAP
12	June 27, 2001	INTERVENOR'S COMPLAINT by intervenor plaintiff (las) (Entered: 06/29/2001)	RECAP
	July 26, 2001	SCHEDULE set on 7/26/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Answer to intervening complaint is due by 8/16/01.Status hearing held and continued to 9:00 9/6/01 . Status report due 8/31/01 . open court notice (gds)
13	Aug. 15, 2001	ANSWER and affirmative defenses by Pro Pak Ind Inc to Interveners' complaint [12-1] ; Notice (las) (Entered: 08/16/2001)	RECAP
14	Aug. 31, 2001	JOINT STATUS REPORT by plaintiff and defendant; Notice (yap) (Entered: 09/05/2001)	RECAP
	Sept. 6, 2001	SCHEDULE set on 9/6/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing held. open court notice (gds)
	Oct. 18, 2001	SCHEDULE set on 10/18/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status heraing held. Settlement conference set for 1:30 11/6/01 . open court notice (gds)
15	Oct. 24, 2001	AGREED MOTION by plaintiff for leave to file appearance instanter (Attachment); Notice. (yp) Modified on 11/01/2001 (Entered: 11/01/2001)	RECAP
16	Oct. 31, 2001	MINUTE ORDER of 10/31/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Plaintiff's agreed motion for leave to file appearance instanter is granted [15-1]. No notice (yp) (Entered: 11/01/2001)	RECAP
17	Oct. 31, 2001	ATTORNEY APPEARANCE for plaintiff by Lauren G Dreilinger. (yp) (Entered: 11/01/2001)	RECAP
	Nov. 6, 2001	SCHEDULE set on 11/6/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing set to 9:00 12/11/01. Discovery stayed during further settlement discussion. Settlement conference held. Chambers notice (gds)
18	Dec. 11, 2001	MINUTE ORDER of 12/11/01 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing held and continued to 1/9/02 at 9:00a.m. (Entered Agreed Protective Order.) No notice (lc) (Entered: 12/12/2001)	RECAP
19	Jan. 9, 2002	REVISED JOINT STATUS REPORT by parties (las) (Entered: 01/11/2002)	RECAP
	Jan. 9, 2002	SCHEDULE set on 1/9/02 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing held and continued to 9:00 7/31/02 . Discovery ordered closed on 7/31/02 . Open court notice (gds)
20	June 7, 2002	MOTION by plaintiff to amend discovery schedule and for briefing schedule of EEOC'S motion to compel production of documents. (Attachments); Notice (las) (Entered: 06/13/2002)	RECAP
21	June 12, 2002	MINUTE ORDER of 6/12/02 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing reset to 9:00 a.m. on 9/5/02. Plaintiff's motion to amend discovery schedule and for briefing schedule on EEOC's motion to compel is granted [20-1]. Plaintiff's motion to compel is due by 7/3/02. Defendant's response is due by 7/17/02. Plaintiff's reply is due by 7/31/02. No notice. (las) (Entered: 06/13/2002)	RECAP
22	June 27, 2002	JOINT MOTION by plaintiff EEOC for judicial settlement conference and stay of briefing schedule ; Notice of motion (eav) (Entered: 07/03/2002)	RECAP
23	July 2, 2002	MINUTE ORDER of 7/2/02 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Joint motion for judicial settlement conference and [22-1], stay of briefing schedule is granted. [22-2] Settlement posture letters are due by 7/12/02. Settlement pretrial conference is set for 7/17/02, at 2:00 p.m. No notice (eav) (Entered: 07/03/2002)	RECAP
	July 17, 2002	SCHEDULE set on 7/17/02 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing set to 9:00 7/25/02 . Settlement conference held. In chambers notice (gds)
	July 25, 2002	SCHEDULE set on 7/25/02 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing reset to 9:00 8/27/02 . Telephone notice (gds)
	Aug. 27, 2002	SCHEDULE set on 8/27/02 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman : Status hearing held and continued to 9:00 9/18/02 . Open court notice (gds)
24	Sept. 18, 2002	MINUTE ORDER of 9/18/02 by Hon. Robert W. Gettleman: (Consent Decree entered (Attachments)). Defendants are enjoined. terminating case No notice (fce) (Entered: 09/23/2002)	RECAP

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Case Details

State / Territory:

Illinois

Case Type(s):

Equal Employment

Special Collection(s):

EEOC Study — in sample

IWPR/Wage Project Consent Decree Study

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: Jan. 26, 2001

Closing Date: Sept. 18, 2002

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on behalf of one or more workers.

Plaintiff Type(s):

EEOC Plaintiff

Private Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

EEOC

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Private Entity/Person

Pro-Pak Industries Inc.

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e

Other Dockets:

Northern District of Illinois 1:01-cv-00552

Available Documents:

Complaint (any)

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Monetary Relief

Trial Court Docket

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff OR Mixed

Relief Granted:

Damages

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Content of Injunction:

Develop anti-discrimination policy

Discrimination Prohibition

Implement complaint/dispute resolution process

Monitoring

Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law

Provide antidiscrimination training

Recordkeeping

Reporting

Retaliation Prohibition

Amount Defendant Pays: 55000

Order Duration: 2002 - 2004

Issues

General/Misc.:

Retaliation

Discrimination Area:

Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff

Disparate Treatment

Harassment / Hostile Work Environment

Discrimination Basis:

Race discrimination

Affected Race(s):

Black

EEOC-centric:

Direct Suit on Merits

Private Party intervened in EEOC suit

Recommended Citation

Case Summary of EEOC v. Pro-Pak Industries Inc., Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, http://www.dev.clearinghouse.net/case/9295/ (last updated 6/25/2007).