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Amazon defeats discrimination lawsuit over self-service kiosk thefts

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August 6, 2026

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A federal judge has dismissed race discrimination and hostile work environment claims brought by Eugene Edmond, a Black former Amazon.com Services employee who was fired following alleged thefts from a self-service cafeteria kiosk, according to a court filing in the Northern District of Illinois. Edmond began working at an Illinois fulfillment center in 2016 and received three promotions before Amazon terminated him in April 2021.

The investigation involved two canceled kiosk transactions. Edmond maintained that he believed he paid for chips and a beverage during the first incident, but security footage showed that he scanned a sandwich and soda without attempting payment during the second. Edmond argued that Amazon generally allowed three violations before firing an employee and treated workers who were not Black more favorably.

U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger granted summary judgment to Amazon, finding insufficient evidence that the company's stated reason for the termination was a pretext for racial discrimination. Seeger also ruled that racial remarks and other conduct Edmond described, while offensive in some cases, were not sufficiently severe or pervasive to support a hostile work environment claim.