Steak N Shake Sues 3 Joliet 'Violent and Hostile' Ex-Employees: Suit

JOLIET, IL — Steak N Shake has filed a Will County civil lawsuit against three people from Joliet who were hired and subsequently fired this year from the Joliet restaurant at 201 South Larkin Ave. The lawsuit accuses them of being hostile and violent toward Steak N Shake employees and interfering in the Steak N Shake's normal business conduct.

The lawsuit defendants are: Katia Frederick, Sakia Pruitte and Jakaila Rancifer.

According to the Chicago lawyers representing the Joliet Steak N Shake, on March 7, the three lawsuit defendants were hired to work as associates at the Steak N Shake restaurant at 201 South Larkin and the "defendants failed to comply with plaintiff's attendance policy throughout the duration of their employment and, as a result, were terminated from their employment."

Pruitte and Rancifer were let go on March 27. Frederick was fired on April 5.

On April 10, the lawsuit claims the three defendants entered the Steak N Shake and "broke into the back office, where they were caught tampering with the safe by plaintiff's employees. Plaintiff's employees removed defendants from the premises and police were called."

In the days afterward, the lawsuit noted, "defendants sent threatening text messages" to one of the plaintiff's employees.

On April 14, the three defendants returned to Steak N Shake at 10:30 p.m. "and began banging on the door," court documents claim.

The lawsuit says an employee unlocked the front door and informed them "they were not allowed on the premises. Defendants then aggressively attempted to push the door open and enter the restaurant while (the worker) struggled to keep them from entering the restaurant."

According to lawyers for Steak N Shake, the three lawsuit defendants told the female employee "to watch herself and "they would be back."

The employee managed to force the restaurant door shut and lock it before Pruitte, Rancifer and Frederick could enter the Steak N Shake, the lawsuit said.

On April 15, the suit alleges Pruitte and Frederick returned around 10 p.m., this time entering through the drive-thru lane where they were refused service. The two then circled the building numerous times in their car, shouting at an employee from the drive-thru speaker box and window.

According to the lawsuit, that night, Pruitte and Frederick then sat in their car at the drive-thru window for five to 10 minutes as Pruitte tapped on the window with the butt of a gun and made threats to shoot people. As a result of their conduct, the lawsuit claims, the Steak N Shake was put on lockdown and the defendants drove around the Larkin Avenue restaurant a few more times before driving away.

On June 30, Pruitte entered the drive-thru by sitting in the bed of a pickup truck driven by her grandmother, the lawsuit states. An employee told them to leave as they were not permitted to be on the property, and Pruitte made threats and hand gestures "imitating a gun" to the employee, according to court documents.

At that point, the lawsuit alleges, Pruitte and her grandmother pulled in front of the restaurant, improperly parked horizontally across several parking spaces, and stood outside the truck to smoke marijuana before leaving. Joliet police were called, but the officers did not arrive until after Pruitte and her grandmother drove off.

"In addition ... defendants have made verbal threats via text message and phone calls to plaintiff's employees ... their associations and general threats made that they would 'shoot up' the building," according to the lawsuit.

The Will County lawsuit states that Steak N Shake has suffered damages to its reputation as customers feared for their safety and the restaurant had to be put on lockdown and the defendants' interference was directed toward a third party, Steak N Shake's employees.

The lawsuit, filed by Chicago lawyer Bradley J. Smith of Keefe, Campbell, Biery and Associates on North Clinton Street, asks that a Will County judge issue a temporary restraining order, without bond, restraining Katia Frederick, Sakia Pruitte and Jakaila Rancifer from entering any Steak N Shake property within the court's jurisdiction.

Also, Steak N Shake wants a judge to issue a permanent injunction.

As of Thursday, the three Joliet defendants have yet to file a response to the lawsuit against them. A Zoom hearing has been set for Sept. 7 at 9 a.m. in Courtroom 905 of Will County Judge John Anderson.

Joliet Patch determined there are no criminal charges on file at the Will County Courthouse in connection with the Steak N Shake incidents.