A transgender former employee of the Chicago Cubs is suing the organization, alleging that she was subjected to months of harassment and retaliation after reporting the incidents to human resources.
Milani Cooper, 35, claims that daily slurs from coworkers, including transphobic remarks, left her humiliated and made her dread going to work. The situation escalated when a co-worker threatened physical violence against her at a CTA station in September, with another coworker making similar threats outside her home after details of her complaints were shared among employees.
Cooper also alleged that she was repeatedly scheduled to work alongside the harassing coworkers, despite requesting different shifts, and that her supervisors failed to take adequate action. The organization's human resources department allegedly responded by scheduling her for solo tasks and telling her that the job may not be a good fit for her.
The Cubs' director of communications has declined to comment on the pending lawsuit. Cooper filed complaints with both the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, seeking back pay, compensation for lost benefits, and other damages.
For Cooper, the lawsuit goes beyond financial compensation – it's about creating a more welcoming work environment for trans women and queer people at Wrigley Field. "I wish they would have responded better to my complaints," she said. "I almost felt like they didn't care."
Milani Cooper, 35, claims that daily slurs from coworkers, including transphobic remarks, left her humiliated and made her dread going to work. The situation escalated when a co-worker threatened physical violence against her at a CTA station in September, with another coworker making similar threats outside her home after details of her complaints were shared among employees.
Cooper also alleged that she was repeatedly scheduled to work alongside the harassing coworkers, despite requesting different shifts, and that her supervisors failed to take adequate action. The organization's human resources department allegedly responded by scheduling her for solo tasks and telling her that the job may not be a good fit for her.
The Cubs' director of communications has declined to comment on the pending lawsuit. Cooper filed complaints with both the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, seeking back pay, compensation for lost benefits, and other damages.
For Cooper, the lawsuit goes beyond financial compensation – it's about creating a more welcoming work environment for trans women and queer people at Wrigley Field. "I wish they would have responded better to my complaints," she said. "I almost felt like they didn't care."
this is so frustrating, I mean who does that? Milani Cooper's experience sounds super toxic and unfair... it's crazy that she had to deal with all that harassment and retaliation just for being herself. 
the Cubs org should be ashamed of themselves for not taking her complaints seriously and instead making things worse. I'm glad she's speaking out and seeking justice, but at the same time, I wish this wasn't even a thing... shouldn't we all just be able to go to work without being judged or bullied? 
it's especially sad that she was scheduled to work with her harassers, like, what kind of sick workplace does that? 
anyway, I hope Milani gets the support and compensation she deserves, but more importantly, I hope this sparks some real change at the Cubs... 
this is so frustrating, i mean, can you imagine having to deal with that kind of harassment in the workplace? like, milani cooper went through all that and was still subjected to being scheduled to work with her harassers... it's just not right 
. i think this lawsuit is going to be super important in creating change for trans women and queer people in the workplace - we need more workplaces that are welcoming and inclusive 
. it's not just about milani cooper's situation, it's about making sure everyone has a safe and respectful place to work 
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. I hope the Cubs' organization takes responsibility for their actions and creates a safer, more inclusive environment for all employees 
especially trans women & queer people who deserve respect & understanding 
. It's just not right that anyone has to deal with harassment and retaliation at work, let alone as a trans woman 
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. And that's something we should all be cheering for 
. Let's hope this kind of thing inspires real change, not just some tokenistic PR move 
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like "oh we cant let her be bothered by ur coworkers" 
meanwhile she's still stuck in same toxic environment. And whats with the scheduling trickery? like "hey milani lets put u in a quiet role so ur coworkers dont bother u" 
sounds like they wanted her to just chill but not really do anything. Anyway hope Milani gets that sweet sweet $$$ and maybe some actual change for all trans employees at Cubs
. I'm guessing this was a cover-up situation...the fact that they're not commenting on it just makes me think there's more to the story 
. Has anyone seen any other articles about this?
especially when it comes to things like this. She should be able to work without being humiliated or scared every day 
. The Cubs organization needs to take responsibility for what happened and make sure something like this never happens again 
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i can imagine how Milani Cooper must feel bein harassed & retaliated against 4 just tryna do her job 
the fact that the HR dept didnt take action is wierd, especially wen she requested diff shifts 2 avoid her coworkers 
i hop the lawsuit holds & makes a change 
. Newsflash: trans women are adults with feelings too! I'm all for a more welcoming work environment, but we need to do better than just words – we need real action 
! Milani Cooper went through hell at the Cubs, and it's time someone held them accountable 
. The Cubs need to do better, and fast! 