Warehouse worker says HD Supply ignored safety alarms, denied light-duty work, and fired him after a forklift fire and back injury.
Atlanta, Georgia – In June 2024, what should have been an uneventful shift at HD Supply’s Forest Park, Georgia, distribution center became a defining moment in the life of Quinton Juwon Hall. A routine assignment turned perilous when the forklift Hall was operating began to malfunction — first smoking, then overheating, and ultimately exploding. The blast released a cloud of toxic fumes that, Hall asserts, left him with a permanent back injury and caused severe disorientation. He maintains that instead of receiving support, the aftermath set off a troubling pattern of humiliation and retaliation inside the workplace — claims that now anchor a $50 million federal civil-rights lawsuit.
The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, stems from a forklift battery incident and back injury in 2024, followed by what Hall describes as a cascade of unequal treatment, denied accommodations, and a retaliatory firing. He is representing himself pro se.
For months, he has fought, often alone and pro se, to hold one of America’s largest industrial supply chains accountable for what is alleged to be discriminatory, retaliatory, and unsafe workplace practices. Case — Hall v. HD Supply, Inc., Civil Action №1:25-cv-06567 (N.D. Ga.)
According to the complaint, the lawsuit is not just about one worker’s job loss, but about “safety and dignity behind warehouse walls” at a major national distributor.
The allegations are contained in Hall’s civil complaint. At this time, HD Supply has not presented its version of events in the court record, and the court has not ruled on the merits of Hall’s claims.
From Temp Worker to High Performer
Hall’s lawsuit traces his employment to around October 2023, when he began working at an HD Supply distribution center as a temporary worker on the warehouse “put-away” team. Around March 2024, he was converted to a regular full-time employee.
According to the complaint, Hall:
- Consistently met or exceeded productivity and safety expectations
- Worked frequently overtime when requested
- Received internal recognition and positive feedback
Hall describes himself as one of the strongest forklift and put-away operators in his department, entrusted with high-priority tasks and considered reliable under pressure.
Forklift Battery Incident and Back Injury
The heart of the lawsuit is a June 27, 2024 incident involving a forklift and an allegedly overheating battery.
Hall alleges that while operating a forklift, he noticed excessive heat and smoke coming from the battery area. He claims the situation escalated to the point that he deployed two fire extinguishers inside the warehouse to control the incident. He contends that this episode left him with a serious back injury.
The complaint describes the event as both a personal turning point and a snapshot of broader safety issues. Photo and video exhibits, according to Hall, depict flames or smoke associated with battery and charging equipment, including an image of a warehouse charger allegedly reading around 158°F.
A few days later, on or about July 1, 2024, Hall says his supervisor acknowledged the incident in a one-on-one conversation and told him, “You did all you could do, I’m just glad you’re ok.” Hall points to this alleged statement as evidence that management knew both about the safety event and his injury.
Following the incident, Hall states that he reported ongoing symptoms and requested reasonable accommodations, including modified job duties that would be more compatible with his physical limitations.
The “Cage,” Light-Duty Work, and Alleged Unequal Treatment
A central pillar of Hall’s discrimination theory is what he describes as unequal access to light-duty assignments.
According to the complaint, HD Supply maintained an enclosed light-duty area on the warehouse floor, informally referred to by workers as “the cage.” Employees who had medical restrictions were sometimes assigned there to perform less physically demanding tasks.
Hall alleges that:
- Other workers with physical restrictions received cage assignments and lighter duties.
- He, despite reporting a back injury and seeking accommodation, was denied comparable light-duty work.
- Instead, he was instructed to perform more strenuous tasks while still recovering.
Hall claims to have preserved publicly available social-media footage that, he says, shows workers inside the cage performing lighter tasks while he, despite his injury, was assigned heavier work elsewhere. He argues that this discrepancy in treatment — particularly in the context of race — supports an inference of discrimination and pretext under federal civil-rights laws.
Rising Tension and a Firing in the Aftermath
The complaint alleges that the relationship between Hall and management deteriorated in July 2024.
On or about July 23, 2024, Hall describes a “hostile confrontation” with a supervisor in another department at the distribution center. Around that time, he claims he raised concerns about unfair treatment and safety issues.
The next day, according to Hall, the same supervisor allegedly made comments about him to others after learning he had filed a written complaint about her conduct. Hall cites a notarized witness affidavit that, he says, recounts statements suggesting retaliation — including threats that he would “get what’s coming.”
Two days later, on July 25, 2024, Hall was terminated.
The complaint recounts a phone call in which a company representative allegedly told Hall that he was being fired for an “outburst” with the supervisor on July 23. When Hall asked what he had supposedly said or done, the representative allegedly responded that she did not know because she “wasn’t back there when it happened.”
Hall argues that this admission shows that no proper factual investigation was conducted before his termination, which he characterizes as strong evidence that the stated reason for firing him was a pretext for unlawful discrimination and retaliation.
Safety Concerns After Hall’s Departure
Hall’s employment with HD Supply ended in July 2024, but his complaint contends that similar equipment and battery concerns persisted at the same facility even after he was gone.
On October 23, 2025, more than a year after his termination, a former co-worker allegedly recorded visible smoke coming from a forklift battery compartment he was operating inside the same distribution center. An internal incident report dated October 28, 2025 describing that event is attached as one of Hall’s exhibits.
Hall points to this later incident as corroborating what he says he tried to flag while employed — ongoing equipment, battery, and charging hazards that posed risks to workers on the warehouse floor.
Medical and Psychological Impact
The lawsuit devotes substantial space to describing Hall’s physical and psychological injuries, which he traces back to the June 2024 incident and its aftermath.
According to the complaint:
Hall was evaluated by a licensed psychologist, who diagnosed him with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (severe), Major Depressive Disorder, and severe anxiety, with associated functional limitations.
Hall also cites an evaluation by an orthopedic specialist, which he says documented a lumbar injury and resulted in a permanent partial disability assessment. The work-status note allegedly placed restrictions on the type of physical activity he should perform on the job going forward.
Taken together, Hall claims that these medical opinions show he has sustained a permanent injury that affects his ability to work in physically demanding warehouse roles and has diminished his long-term earning capacity.
Out of Work and Alleged Economic Losses
Since his termination on July 25, 2024, Hall alleges that he has remained unemployed despite what he describes as extensive efforts to find new work.
The complaint states that Hall has:
- Submitted more than 300 job applications
- Reached out to employers and recruiters
- Attended interviews and followed up with prospective employers
- Maintained a detailed mitigation log tracking his job-search efforts
Hall argues that this record demonstrates he has done what the law requires to mitigate his damages, and that his continuing unemployment stems from his injury, the mental-health impact of the events, and the stigma he says is associated with how his employment ended — not from any unwillingness to work.
He estimates his combined economic and non-economic losses — including back pay, front pay, lost benefits, medical expenses, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life — at not less than $50 million, and notes that the amount could increase as more information emerges in discovery.
The Legal Claims: Civil Rights, Disability, and State Law
Hall’s lawsuit is built on a multi-layered legal framework that combines federal civil-rights laws with state-law tort theories.
Among the claims asserted:
- Race discrimination in violation of federal civil-rights statutes, based on alleged disparate treatment and termination
- Hostile work environment, alleging severe or pervasive conduct tied to race and disability
- Retaliation, claiming that HD Supply punished him for complaining about discrimination and safety issues
- Disability discrimination and failure to accommodate, alleging that the company did not reasonably adjust his duties after his back injury
- Retaliation and interference under federal disability law
- A claim under a federal statute that allows uncapped compensatory and punitive damages in certain race-discrimination cases
- Defamation under Georgia law, based on alleged statements that he was “faking” his injury
- A state-law wrongful termination / retaliatory discharge theory, pled in the alternative
He demands a jury trial on all claims that can be decided by a jury and explicitly seeks compensatory, punitive, and, where applicable, liquidated damages.
An Unusually Document-Heavy Pro Se Case
Many pro se employment lawsuits are filed with minimal documentation attached. Hall’s complaint is an exception.
According to the filing, his case is supported by an extensive exhibit set that includes:
- His administrative charge and Right-to-Sue notice from a federal civil-rights agency
- Internal performance awards and positive evaluations
- 17 notarized witness affidavits , safety complaints and incident reports related to forklift batteries and charging equipment
- Photo and video evidence of smoke and alleged overheating equipment
- Medical records, psychological evaluations, and disability notices
- A detailed job-search mitigation log
- Comparator evidence, including images and footage that Hall claims show other employees receiving lighter “cage” assignments while he continued heavier work; and
- Internal incident reports describing the forklift battery event;
Hall argues that this record will show not only that the company’s justifications for its actions are unfounded, but that its conduct was carried out with malice or reckless indifference to his rights — language that mirrors the legal standard for punitive damages in many federal discrimination cases.
Inside HD Supply: Company Overview and Online Footprint
Founded in 1974, HD Supply has grown into one of the nation’s largest industrial distributors, serving construction, maintenance, and institutional customers across the United States.
The HD Supply company overview highlights business segments that include:
– HD Supply HVAC products and systems
– HD Supply flooring materials and installation supplies
– HD Supply appliances for multifamily, hospitality, and commercial properties
– HD Supply facility maintenance, inventory, and repair solutions
Through its e-commerce platform—often referred to as HD Supply online shopping—the company serves contractors, government agencies, property managers, and maintenance professionals nationwide. HD Supply also offers HD Supply net 30 accounts, a trade-credit option that allows qualified customers to purchase materials on account with 30-day invoicing. These net-30 terms are widely used in construction and property-management sectors as a short-term financing tool.
The company operates numerous HD Supply locations across the country and employs thousands of workers. Its HD Supply careers portal advertises roles in logistics, warehouse operations, supply-chain management, sales, and corporate functions.
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