Illinois man sues Chili’s, claiming termination over transgender identity

A transgender assistant manager of an Illinois Chili’s Grill & Bar claims they were fired for using gender neutral pronouns. Now they’re suing.

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Hudson Webber filed a lawsuit in federal court in Chicago against Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s. The complaint alleges discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Illinois Human Rights Act, claiming they were fired because of their gender identity despite meeting or exceeding expectations. The lawsuit seeks back pay, front pay, damages, attorneys’ fees, and other relief.

Webber, a transgender man, worked as an assistant manager at a Chili’s location in Rosemont, Illinois. The lawsuit says Webber began the job on April 17, 2025, but was fired less than a month later, on May 12.

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According to the complaint and an earlier discrimination charge filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Webber was repeatedly removed from scheduled shifts by management. That included one instance when managers canceled Webber’s shifts, supposedly because a ruptured pipe forced the restaurant to close for the day. Later, Webber learned that no such incident had occurred and that the restaurant operated as normal and fully staffed, according to the court filing.

The lawsuit alleges the explanation was false and that Webber was intentionally excluded from work because management did not want them present.

After Webber was fired in May, they met with store manager Martin Perez, who said Webber’s “personal values and lifestyle values” did not align with the restaurant, according to the lawsuit. Webber claims they asked whether the decision could be reviewed by someone else, and Perez told them that he and a regional manager, identified only as Scott, had jointly made the decision and that it was final.

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Webber said Chili’s did not ask about their sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation during the hiring process, and Webber did not disclose it at that time. According to the filings, the decision to terminate Webber came only after management became aware of their gender identity and expression.

The complaint alleges that Chili’s disciplined and ultimately fired Webber solely because of their sex and gender identity, which would violate Title VII’s prohibition on sex-based discrimination as well as Illinois law.

The lawsuit says the termination caused Webber to lose employment, income, and benefits and led to emotional distress, humiliation, and other damages.

Webber filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC on January 29, 2026. The agency later issued a notice allowing the case to proceed in court after more than 180 days had passed since the complaint was filed.