Black staff member in Democratic congressman's office sues over racial discrimination

A black staff member for U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., has filed a lawsuit against her employer alleging a supervisor made a comment about lynching.

The lawsuit, filed by constituent services representative Patrice Campbell, claims she was retaliated against after reporting the issue, Politico reported. The lawsuit claims Karyn Davidman, Campbell's supervisor, created a hostile work environment.

Schneider spokesperson Matt Fried said in a statement to Politico that the lawsuit “does not provide a complete or accurate representation of the issues or her treatment by any office personnel.”

“The Office looks forward to responding to Plaintiff's allegations in Federal Court at the appropriate time and is confident that it will be exonerated in due course once all the facts are known,” Fried said.

According to the lawsuit, Campbell is the sole Black employee in the office.