A former employee is taking legal action against a prominent company, alleging serious violations of her rights under multiple employment laws. Geneva Alexander filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on November 18, 2025, accusing Great Lakes Wine & Spirits, L.L.C. of discrimination and wrongful termination.
Geneva Alexander, a resident of Detroit, began working with Great Lakes Wine & Spirits (GLWS) on August 26, 2021, as a Delivery Transportation Associate. According to the complaint, Alexander suffers from severe lumbar back and abdominal pain that significantly impairs her daily activities. In December 2023, she was approved for intermittent leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to manage her disability and care for her daughter and mother who also have serious medical conditions. Despite being eligible for FMLA leave through March 18, 2024, Alexander claims she faced complications when GLWS switched their third-party FMLA administrator from UNUM to Lincoln Financial in February 2024.
The lawsuit details how Alexander provided necessary documentation to extend her FMLA leave but was met with administrative errors and delays. On March 19, 2024, she submitted updated documents following an appointment with her physician. However, the very next day she was terminated by GLWS due to alleged attendance issues related to dates she was supposedly covered by FMLA leave or within the grace period for document submission.
Alexander accuses GLWS of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act (PWDCRA), and FMLA by discriminating against her based on her disabilities and retaliating against her for exercising her rights under these laws. The complaint asserts that GLWS failed to provide reasonable accommodations and unlawfully terminated Alexander based on discriminatory motives.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages exceeding $75,000 for emotional distress and economic losses such as loss of earnings and benefits, Alexander is pursuing punitive damages due to what she describes as intentional or recklessly indifferent conduct by GLWS. She argues that this conduct not only breached employment law but also reflected a broader failure by GLWS to properly train its staff regarding discrimination laws.
Represented by Scott P. Batey of Batey Law Firm PLLC in Bingham Farms, Michigan, Alexander demands a jury trial on all issues allowed by law. The case is presided over by Judge SKD-DRG under Case ID: 2:25-cv-13659-SKD-DRG.
Source: 225cv13659_Geneva_Alexander_v_Great_Lakes_Complaint_Eastern_District_of_Michigan.pdf
