A Moroccan immigrant has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, alleging racial and alienage discrimination in the workplace. On February 24, 2026, Ikrame Elmerdi filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Dr. Marilyn S. Gaylor DDS PC, doing business as Cosmetic Dentistry of Atlanta, and Marilyn S. Gaylor individually.
Ikrame Elmerdi claims that during her employment as an Office Manager at Cosmetic Dentistry of Atlanta, she was subjected to discriminatory treatment due to her Arab ancestry and immigrant status. According to the complaint, Elmerdi was hired in February 2024 and was the only Arab employee at the company. She alleges that Dr. Gaylor frequently questioned her about her race and immigration status, associating her with negative stereotypes related to terrorism and questioning her involvement in events like the 9/11 attacks. “Defendant Gaylor never questioned any other employees about these topics,” Elmerdi states in her complaint.
The lawsuit details various instances where Elmerdi was allegedly singled out because of her background. For example, during Ramadan from March 11 to April 11, 2024, Dr. Gaylor reportedly mocked Elmerdi’s fasting practices and attempted to make her break them by offering food and water. Furthermore, when participating in Eid Al Adha traditions involving the slaughtering of sheep for charity, Dr. Gaylor allegedly called Elmerdi a “killer.” These comments were not directed at any other employees who did not share Elmerdi’s cultural background.
Elmerdi also accuses Dr. Gaylor of forcing her to perform personal errands outside of her job description, such as washing vehicles and overseeing residential moves—tasks not required of other employees—and forbidding others from assisting with heavy lifting by asserting that “Ms. Elmerdi is strong and could handle it on her own.” Additionally, she claims that she was coerced into cooking pork despite dietary restrictions due to her heritage.
The complaint further describes how Dr. Gaylor allegedly discriminated against African American patients by requiring background checks on their financial status before providing services—a task assigned solely to Elmerdi—which she protested as unfair treatment but was ignored.
In October 2025, following a series of discriminatory incidents including being pressured to vote for Donald Trump under threat of surveillance on Election Day voting choices, Elmerdi’s work schedule was reduced without explanation after hiring another non-Arab employee who took over some of her responsibilities.
Elmerdi contends that this hostile work environment culminated in wrongful termination under false pretenses on November 5th when she refused to resign despite being told by a colleague that Dr.Gaylor wanted rid of her through mistreatment until she quit voluntarily.
The lawsuit seeks back wages along with compensatory damages for emotional distress caused by alleged misconduct; punitive damages reflecting willful intent behind actions taken against plaintiff; attorney fees incurred throughout litigation process; injunctive relief reinstating position lost unjustly or equivalent compensation moving forward plus prohibition preventing recurrence similar behavior towards others future contexts within same organization setting going forward too!
Representing Ms.Elmardi are attorneys from Barrett & Farahany law firm led specifically Constance Cooper while presiding judge overseeing proceedings identified SEG-CCB under case number ID:1:26-cv-01077-SEG-CCB
Source: 126cv01077_Ikrae_v_Elmerdi_v_DR_Marilyn_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York.pdf
