KANSAS CITY — A former Kansas City maintenance mechanic has filed a federal lawsuit against the city alleging years of racial and age discrimination, unequal pay, workplace harassment and retaliation that ultimately led to his unpaid suspension and termination.
Lonell Henderson, 45, filed the petition for damages on Oct. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
The lawsuit names the city of Kansas City as the defendant and seeks damages and other relief under federal civil rights and employment discrimination laws, as well as Missouri law.
Henderson, a Black man who worked for the city's Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department for more than 11 years, alleges he was consistently underpaid compared with younger white employees, denied advancement opportunities and subjected to retaliatory treatment after repeatedly reporting discrimination and harassment to city management.
According to the petition, Henderson was placed on unpaid suspension Sept. 24, 2025, following allegations involving workplace conduct and items reportedly discovered in his assigned lockers. He was subsequently terminated, and the city placed a 10-year "Do Not Rehire" designation in his personnel file, according to the filing.
Henderson maintains that the allegations against him were fabricated or improperly investigated and that the disciplinary actions were retaliation for his complaints about discriminatory treatment.
A central component of the lawsuit concerns Henderson's compensation. The petition alleges that despite having more than 11 years of experience, he was paid at a level corresponding to a fourth-year mechanic under the city's step-based pay scale.
According to the filing, the city acknowledged in a May 20, 2026, response to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Henderson was earning $4,238 per month immediately before July 27, 2025.
His salary was subsequently increased to $4,395.73 per month, equivalent to $25.36 per hour.
The lawsuit contends that an employee with Henderson's tenure should have been at Step 11 of the pay scale, earning $32.42 per hour, rather than Step 4.
The alleged discrepancy amounted to $7.06 per hour, according to the petition.
Henderson also alleges that younger white mechanics with less experience received higher pay, merit increases and advancement opportunities.
The filing further claims that supervisors repeatedly altered payroll records to reduce or eliminate overtime and double-time compensation Henderson had earned.
The petition cites affidavits from former Maintenance Supervisor James Lewis and former Chief Union Steward Daryl Love in support of the allegations.
Love worked for the city for 27 years before retiring in 2024 and reportedly filed thousands of union grievances concerning wage disparities affecting Black maintenance employees.
According to the lawsuit, hundreds of those grievances were substantiated by a city hearing officer over the years. Lewis, who supervised maintenance operations at Bartle Hall from 2015 to 2024, allegedly witnessed similar disparities and identified Henderson as the lowest-paid mechanic in the department despite his tenure and technical experience.
The filing also alleges that Henderson's overtime hours were improperly altered more than 50 times.
In one instance, Lewis reportedly entered Henderson's overtime hours into the city's payroll system, only to have the hours subsequently reduced or deleted by Building Manager William Nelson.
Henderson's complaints about workplace treatment also form a significant part of the lawsuit.
The petition alleges that he repeatedly reported harassment and discrimination involving members of his leadership team, including Nelson and Supervisor Gabreion Hamilton.
On June 1, 2025, Henderson submitted a written complaint concerning Hamilton's behavior.
He followed up by email on June 7 and again on June 20, describing the supervisor's conduct as intimidating, threatening and bullying.
The lawsuit alleges that management failed to adequately address his complaints.
It also claims Nelson repeatedly characterized Henderson as "confrontational" to new employees, reinforcing what the petition describes as a racial stereotype of the "angry Black man."
The dispute escalated in September 2025 following allegations involving Henderson's workplace lockers.
According to the petition, Hamilton reported finding synthetic urine and firearm components in one of Henderson's lockers.
Henderson denied ownership of the items and maintained they had been planted in retaliation for his discrimination complaints.
The lawsuit challenges the city's investigation, alleging inconsistencies in witness statements and the timeline of events.
It also claims that the lockers were accessible to other employees and supervisors, making it impossible to establish that Henderson had exclusive possession of the items.
The petition specifically points to conflicting accounts from Hamilton and maintenance mechanic Bradley Corbett regarding when and how the items were discovered.
Corbett allegedly disputed Hamilton's account that they had discovered the items together and stated he did not see a gun barrel in Henderson's locker.
The filing also challenges a separate workplace violence allegation stemming from a Sept. 10, 2025, interaction between Henderson and Hamilton.
Henderson disputes the allegation that he physically bumped the supervisor's chest.
According to the petition, mechanic Samuel Sisco, who was present during the interaction, stated he did not witness physical contact.
Henderson also alleges that Hamilton improperly ordered him to undergo a drug test on Sept. 10, telling him, "I got your ass." Henderson took the test that day, and the results were negative, according to the lawsuit.
The city ultimately relied on its investigation into the allegations to support Henderson's suspension and termination, the petition states.
The lawsuit further alleges that the city failed to follow required procedures when extending Henderson's unpaid suspension.
On Dec. 16, 2025, the city issued a predetermination hearing decision acknowledging procedural violations, including the lack of documented City Manager approval for a suspension exceeding 15 calendar days and the failure to provide written notice of its anticipated duration.
According to the petition, the administrative decision directed management to coordinate Henderson's return to work, obtain the necessary approval or provide back pay beginning on the 16th day of the suspension.
Henderson alleges the city failed to follow those directives and that he remained without pay as of the filing date.
He also claims the city failed to properly notify him and his union of certain disciplinary hearings, preventing him from exercising his right to appeal.
The petition states that Henderson did not receive notice of one scheduled hearing until the day it was held.
The lawsuit brings eight claims against the city, including race discrimination, retaliation, hostile work environment, age discrimination, violations of federal civil rights protections and deprivation of due process under Kansas City ordinances.
Henderson is seeking compensation for lost wages, benefits, pension adjustments, emotional distress and reputational harm.
He is also asking the court to order the city to remove the 10-year do-not-rehire designation, expunge the disputed investigation findings from his personnel file and correct his payroll records to reflect his years of service.
The petition also requests punitive damages against responsible municipal agents and supervisors in their individual capacities, along with attorney fees and litigation costs.
Henderson is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is represented by Cecilia Nuby of Cecilia Nuby & Associates.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri case number: 4:26-cv-01003
