INTHECIRCUITCOURTOFCOOKCOUNTY,LTINOISCOUNTYEPARTMENT,JTWDIVISION

TOMMYRBENNETT,i]I:Ll;i. f-*#t?Tss

complair,ran!I.*".*thf*ftrunrlnm

v.:)T*rlInt*rr-tcii'ttl"ki

MINBOWPUSHOALITTONrrd]tcl- 4.*ft

IEssEAcIGoNR,I:\ .-t',. ;:l_ ''ir,--''tJi"-Respondents.t,,:;:,:,6n

_::4..J

coMPl"arNTAT-AW,,I-.-:.*t-

-';,.'*) h)NowcoMESheplaintiff,oMMyENNETT"plaintiffr"Mr.n*4rrrj,slS

hisattorneys,ThomasV. Leversoof theLaw officesof Thomasv.Leve*o,and,pursuantothelllinoisHumanRightsAct"775ILCS5/1-1Olet seq.Wesr20tL)and775ILCS5/7A-L02(C)[4J,cornplainsas followsofthe Defendants,MINBOWpUSHCOALITIONf"RainbowPUSH?,andlllinoisCompanyandnonprofitorganization,andREVERENDESSEACI(SON,RRev.|acksonJfcollectively,he"Defendants")Insupportthereof,PlaintiffallegeshefollowingPARTIES&VENUEL.Atalltimesmaterial,Mr.Bennetts andindividualand resided,at7022SouthShoreDrivgChicago,llinois6A649.2-RainbowPUSHs aChicago-base4llinoisnot-for-profitorganization,withitsheadquartersocatedat930East50th StreetChicagoL60615.(Ex"A",reportfromthelllinoisSecretaryof Sate ofthis company.)3.Mr.BennettwasemployedwithRainbow Pushfromfuly1.]-,2007hroughDecember3,20A9.4-ThiscontroversyarisesromsaidemploymentbyDefendantof Mr.Bennett,andaforementionedemplo5rmentasbased n theCity ofChicago,CountyofCoohSateof lllinois.5.Themajorityoftheactigns,acts, iansactions,and/oroccurrencesdescribedhereinafteroccurredntheCountyofCoohStateof lllinois.

7.Mr.Bennettproper$andtimelysubmittedacomplainttotheIllinoisDepartmentofHumanRightsonfune1,g,zotl-Acopyof thissamecomplaintsattachedheretoasE)c8"..ThelllinoisDepartrneutonHumanRightsailedto fileaformalchargewith365days,despiteb"t{tgnotifiedofDefendants'severedefaultThus,Mr.BennettbringsthisacHonpursuanttohis rightto sue,whichoriginatedafterthe365-daymarhcopyof thedefaultnotificationisattachedasEx."c".AI.TEGATIONSCOMITIONOAI.tCOUNTSMr.Bennettmetcongressmanfessefacksonfr.in2000onacmise.Mr.Bennettstartedwor}dngforcongressmanfessefacksonfr.in2006asaCommunityVolunteer:Coordinatoronhis exploratorycommitteeformayorofChicago.onoraboutseptember2a06,Mr.Bennettbeganworkingforsandi|acksonwhowasrunning7awardalderman,as hevolunteercoordinator.ThroughJesseacksonr.andsandifackson,Mr.BennettmetRev.acksonandstartedworkingfor RainbowpushcoalitiononJulylJ,za}TasaNationalDirectorof CommunityAffairs.AsNationalDirectorofCommunityAffairc,Mr.Bennettwasinchargeofvoterregistration,volunteerservicegheprisonprogram,helegalclinicandmembership.Mr.Bennetdssexualorientatio&homosexual,waswellknownatRainbowPushduetohis nationallysyndicatedalkshow,',TheTom|oynerMorningShow."Mr.Bennett'sadio personalitynames.,ArubaTommy.,,AJmostimmediatelyafterMr.Bennettstarted,Mr.Bennettexperienceddiscrimination.carolinewiggrns,theMembershipand vorunteercoordinator;wenttoRev.facksonospeakwithhimandinformhim thatshedid not wanttobeunderhissupervisionbecauseMr. Bennettshomosexual.Rev.acksonmovedMs.wigginsfromunderMr.Bennett'ssupervisionandputherunderthesupervisionof theFieldDirector,Rev. Livingston.Mr.Bennettwasnformedof thisbyRev.Livingston.8.9.L0.LL.

13.

L4.

15.L2.

L8.L6.L7.

2L.22.23.

Ms.Wigginstold the entirestaff that shewasgladthatshe did not havetoansweroMr. Bennett,a homosexualand thatRev.Livingstonwasher boss.Mr.Bennettcomplainedto Rev. Livingstonabout thetransfer.Mr.BennettmetwithRev. LMngqtonandhe w.as upsetabout igbutthat therewasnothinghe coulddoaboutit becausetwasadecision hatRev.acksonhadmade.Mr.Bennettwas nstructedby Rpu Livingstonhat Mr. BennettshouldIearnto workaroundMs.Wiggins.Fromthatpointforwar4Ms. wigginswouldmakea limp wrist gesturetowardsMr.BennettwheneverMr. Bennett walkeddownthe hallway.Mr.Bennettunderstoodthelimp wristgesturetomock hissexualorientation:homosexual.Shortlytlereafterthetransfer,on or about 2008,Ms. Wigginsledaprayerduringa volunteermeetingand in herprayetheardthroughouttheoffice,shestate4"Bindthesehomosexualspirits that are intheofffice"and"getthesehomosexualsutofhereand do{infesus'name."WhenMr. Bennettoverheardheprayer,Mr. Bennettaroserom his deskandapproachedMs.wiggins,but was interceptedby Felicia McQuitter,whoalsohearditand instructedMr. Bennettoleave andavoid confrontation.WillieDukealsoheardtheprayer.Mr. Bennettwasshockedand humiliatedbyMs.Wiggins'prayerandunderstoodt tobedirectedat him ashe wastheonlyopenlygayndividualintheoffice at the timesoonafter,Mr. Bennettfileda complaint Rev,Jackson,Rev-LivingstonandHumanResourcesboutMs.Wiggins'discriminatoryconduclA fewweekslater;Mr. Bennettwas at anevent andmn into Ms.Wiggins,sister,BonitaParker,andshe satedtltathersister hadjoinedRev.Meeks'churchandis"saved".tis welllcrown thatRev. Meeksactivelypreachesagainsthomosexuality.Mr. Bennettwasneverapproachedby anyone rom RainbowPushregardinghis complaints-Mr.Benneftwas nevereven sent a responseo hiscomplainLToMr.Bennett'seowlddge,no investig3tionor actionwastakenn response19.tohis complaint