In a significant legal filing, an African American woman has taken her fight against workplace discrimination to the federal court. On November 24, 2025, Ilisa Norsworthy filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against her former employer, Graphic Packaging International, LLC. The lawsuit alleges multiple violations of civil rights and employment laws.
The case revolves around Norsworthy’s claims of systemic racial and gender discrimination during her tenure at Graphic Packaging’s West Monroe facility. According to the complaint, Norsworthy was hired in 2017 and excelled in her role, eventually becoming the first African American to hold a senior leadership position at the plant. Despite her achievements, she alleges that she faced continuous discrimination and retaliation after reporting racial bias affecting over thirty African American employees. “Rather than addressing misconduct,” Norsworthy asserts that Graphic Packaging ignored evidence of racial bias and instead retaliated against her by subjecting her to heightened scrutiny and ultimately terminating her employment under false pretenses.
Norsworthy’s complaint details several instances where Caucasian employees engaged in serious misconduct but faced little to no repercussions compared to her experience. She cites examples such as a Caucasian employee sharing confidential information without severe consequences while she was abruptly terminated following unfounded allegations of financial misconduct. The lawsuit accuses Graphic Packaging of creating a hostile work environment by undermining Norsworthy’s authority, excluding her from decision-making processes, and denying her equal pay compared to male counterparts.
In seeking justice, Norsworthy is asking the court for various forms of relief including back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress and humiliation, punitive damages for unlawful conduct by Graphic Packaging, as well as attorney fees. Her lawsuit underscores broader issues within corporate environments regarding race and gender equality.
Representing Norsworthy is attorney Christopher Minias from The Minias Law Firm based in New Orleans. The case is being presided over by an unnamed judge under Case ID 3:25-cv-01861.
Source: 325cv01861_Ilisa_Norsworthy_v_Graphic_Packaging_Complaint_Western_District_of_Louisiana.pdf
