A former hourly worker claims that her employer systematically failed to pay required overtime wages and then fired her after she reported witnessing sexual harassment at work. The complaint was filed by Mallori Jones on March 13, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Morgan Truck Body LLC.
According to the filing, Jones brings a collective action on behalf of herself and other similarly situated employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), alleging that Morgan Truck Body did not pay all required overtime premiums at the correct rate for hours worked over forty per week. In addition to the wage claims, Jones individually alleges retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, stating she was terminated after engaging in protected activity related to reporting sexual harassment.
The complaint outlines that Jones worked as a Production Associate 1 (PA) at Morgan Truck Body’s facility in Rydal, Georgia from October 2024 until February 5, 2025. Her duties included attending daily meetings, maintaining inventory, performing manual labor and assembly work, operating machinery, cutting metal sheets, assembling vehicle wall panels, and processing components through riveting machinery. She was paid a base hourly rate of $17.00 with an overtime rate of $25.50 per hour over eighty hours in a pay period.
Jones alleges that Morgan Truck Body calculated overtime on a bi-weekly basis rather than weekly as required by law. The complaint states: “Defendant required Plaintiff and other members of the FLSA Collective to work over eighty (80) hours for a two-week period before they would be considered as working overtime.” Furthermore, it is alleged that bonuses were not included in calculating the regular rate for overtime purposes: “Defendant failed to include the bonuses in the regular rate of pay… As a result, Defendant failed to pay Plaintiff and those similarly situated at the appropriate overtime rate.”
The lawsuit claims these practices affected more than one hundred employees who performed similar work as PAs within three years prior to filing. The complaint asserts that most potential class members would not file individual suits due to lack of resources or knowledge about their rights.
Regarding her retaliation claim under Title VII, Jones describes an incident on January 31, 2025 when she witnessed a coworker engaged in inappropriate conduct while parked next to her during lunch break. She reported this incident immediately to Human Resources. After making her report and sharing video evidence with HR staff via Facebook Messenger as requested, Jones says she was instructed not to discuss the matter further because it was under investigation.
Despite these instructions being given after she had already told several coworkers about what happened—before knowing about confidentiality requirements—Jones later learned rumors were circulating among supervisors and coworkers suggesting she had fabricated her account. She reported feeling distraught by these rumors and approached HR again for support but felt dismissed.
On February 5, 2025, following an internal investigation where statements were collected from multiple employees—including some who denied hearing anything from Jones despite her previous disclosures—Jones met with regional HR support staff who confronted her with allegations that she had shown video evidence of the incident to others after being told not to do so. According to the complaint: “Mr. Hicks told Plaintiff he was terminating her for a breach of confidentiality.”
Jones maintains that she did not know showing video evidence could be considered sexual harassment or grounds for termination. The suit states: “Following and because of Plaintiff’s opposition to sexual harassment, Defendant terminated Plaintiff’s employment.” She alleges suffering physical, mental, and emotional damages as a result.
The legal claims include willful failure by Morgan Truck Body LLC to pay proper overtime wages under FLSA both individually (Count I) and collectively (Count II), as well as retaliation under Title VII (Count III). For herself and other affected workers, Jones seeks unpaid wages for all time worked beyond forty hours per week within applicable limitations periods; liquidated damages; interest; attorneys’ fees; compensatory damages; punitive damages; lost wages; benefits; prejudgment and post-judgment interest; costs; expert fees; declaratory judgment that defendant’s practices are unlawful; designation of this case as a collective action with notice issued to all similarly situated persons; tolling of statutes of limitation; and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Attorneys Justin M. Scott (Georgia Bar No. 557463), Grace A. Starling (Georgia Bar No. 464958), and Dana K. Ford (Georgia Bar No. 008058) from Radford Scott LLP represent Mallori Jones in this matter under Civil Action No. 4:26-cv-00066-WMR-JHR.
Source: 426cv00066_Mallori_Jones_v_Morgan_Truck_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georiga.pdf
