A troubling chain of alleged HR failures followed the worker's complaint
Rivian Automotive faces a federal lawsuit alleging it mishandled a sexual harassment report, then fired the employee who raised it.
The case, filed on March 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, centers on how one of America's most closely watched electric vehicle makers allegedly responded when a factory worker said she was being harassed on the job.
Treshon Gant says she was hired as a Team Member for General Assembly at Rivian's Normal, Illinois plant in October 2022. According to court papers, within weeks she was subjected to frequent and unwelcome sexual harassment by multiple co-workers. One, Antwon Willis, allegedly made sexually explicit remarks, touched her without consent, and followed her as she tried to get away from him. Another male employee allegedly asked intrusive questions about her virginity.
Gant did what employers routinely tell workers to do — she reported it. The filing says she raised the matter with her Team Lead, her Group Leader, her Manager, and an Employee Relations Manager, all on the same day the most serious incident occurred.
What allegedly happened next is where the case becomes particularly instructive for HR professionals.
Rivian temporarily separated Gant and Willis for roughly four days, according to the lawsuit, but then moved Willis back onto her production line. The filing also alleges that Rivian directed Gant — not Willis — to complete a sexual harassment training course. The alleged harasser, according to the court papers, was not asked to do the same.
Then came the survey. On or about January 11, 2023, Gant completed an internal employee satisfaction survey in which she expressed frustration about feeling unprotected against sexual harassment at work. Two days later, Rivian terminated her.
The company's stated reason, according to the filing, was that Gant had repeated attendance issues and a "no call, no show" on January 13, 2023. Gant disputes this. She says she called Rivian's attendance line at 4:30 AM — well over an hour before her shift began at 6:10 AM — and had enough Personal Time Off banked to cover the absence.
The lawsuit brings four counts under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act, alleging both a hostile work environment and retaliation. Gant is seeking at least $200,000 in compensatory damages on each count, along with punitive damages and attorneys' fees. A jury trial has been requested.
The case remains in its earliest stages and no determination has been made on any of the claims. Rivian has not yet responded in court.
For HR leaders, the allegations raise a familiar but uncomfortable question: when an employee follows every step of the reporting process and the outcome is termination, how does that look to a jury?
