A former civil rights investigator in Kansas City’s human relations department has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit saying her supervisor and co-workers retaliated against her when she made a complaint.

The lawsuit, filed in Jackson County Circuit Court in July 2017, went to trial this week and ended in a mistrial Wednesday. The suit named as defendants the employee’s supervisor, Thomas Randolph, and the city.

The plaintiff, NaToyia Wilson, worked in the city’s Human Relations Department, responsible for “protecting KCMO citizens against discrimination.” In the lawsuit, she says she endured months of discrimination and harassment and was ignored when she reported it. She left her job with the city in July 2017.

According to the charge of discrimination, Wilson complained to her director for months, to the city’s ethics hotline, the city’s Equal Employment Office, the human resources board and an assistant city attorney.

Wilson’s attorney Rachel Rutter declined to comment on the case. City spokesman Chris Hernandez told The Star the city doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation.

The city denied most of Wilson’s claims in court filings. The city also said Wilson’s claims are outside the limitation period and alleged Wilson violated city policy when recording meetings, though Wilson did not respond when a city employee asked if she was recording.

The lawsuit says the discrimination began when Wilson’s supervisor, Randolph, told her he would have sent her to a training, but “didn’t know what you were going to do about your son.”

Yet a male coworker, with children the same age as Wilson’s, was allowed to go, according to the charge of discrimination she filed with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

That day, Sept. 4, 2014, she emailed Randolph complaining about what he said.

Then the retaliation began, according to the lawsuit.

A few weeks later, Wilson tried to tell Randolph about “disparaging remarks” her co-workers made on a local radio station.

Employees in Wilson’s office appeared at times on the radio show “Discrimination: Report It, Don’t Ignore It,” according to the spring/summer 2017 issue of the city magazine KCMOre.

Wilson told Randolph she didn’t want to participate in the show anymore. But Randolph said she had to appear on the show and could be fired if she didn’t. Wilson was disciplined for not appearing on the show.

Complaints

In November 2014, a co-worker “became irate and physically threatening and intimidating,” toward Wilson, according to the lawsuit. Randolph ignored it.

During a meeting in March 2015, two of her co-workers and Randolph “ambushed and verbally attacked” her, the suit says. When Wilson tried to leave, according to the lawsuit, Randolph put his leg in the exit and told Wilson to stay and sit down.

The next month, Randolph allegedly told Wilson she couldn’t look for information or guidance outside of him.

In the summer of 2015, Wilson made a formal complaint with the director of human resources. Two months later, she wasn’t allowed to attend a training that two of her co-workers were allowed to attend.

In September 2015, Wilson tried to complain to Randolph about a co-worker’s behavior. But Randolph called her from the human resources department and told her to stop emailing about complaints.

Wilson asked Randolph for a formal performance evaluation. According to the lawsuit, Randolph told her he “got her email,” but didn’t begin the evaluation. That meant Wilson was denied a raise, the lawsuit says.

“No one is bullying you,” Randolph said in response to her complaints, according to the lawsuit. “Sometimes you just have to take it.”

When Wilson met with an associate city attorney, according to the lawsuit, the attorney told her, “don’t give me too much or I’ll get bored with it.”

The lawsuit said Wilson lost past and future wages and benefits, suffered emotional distress and mental anguish, and lost career opportunities and life enjoyment. Her employment record was also damaged, it said.

The lawsuit, filed in 2017, asks for a “fair and reasonable” amount in damages, plus punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.

This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 12:45 PM.