A manager allegedly told the worker to "think twice" before putting complaints on paper
Marriott International is facing a federal lawsuit alleging it fired an employee who repeatedly raised concerns about workplace discrimination.
The case, Sulejmani v. Sodexo, Inc. d/b/a Marriott International, Inc. (No. 1:26-cv-02695), was filed on March 10, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. At its core, it raises a question that should keep any HR leader up at night: what happens when an employee speaks up -- and the organization allegedly looks the other way?
Roaldo Sulejmani worked as an Assistant Rooms Operation Manager, first at The Westin Michigan Ave beginning in August 2024, then at the Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile after a transfer in May 2025. According to the lawsuit, the trouble started soon after.
The suit alleges Sulejmani flagged multiple incidents of inappropriate conduct by a co-worker to his manager, but no action followed. He, meanwhile, was regularly held accountable for minor infractions. When he escalated concerns about unfair treatment based on race and gender to the general manager in August 2025, the matter was handed off to the hotel manager -- who allegedly ignored it at first.
When that hotel manager did respond, the conversation allegedly took a turn. Rather than addressing the issues, he reportedly dismissed the concerns, described Sulejmani's manager as a "model employee," and told him to "think twice before you...
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