(Valley News Live) – A former Walmart cashier in Grand Forks is suing the company, alleging he was fired the day after he asked to bring his psychiatric service dog to work.
Angeles Luna filed the federal lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota against Walmart Inc. The complaint alleges disability discrimination and retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as sex discrimination and a hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, based on Luna’s gender identity.
According to the complaint, Walmart hired Luna in June 2025 at the Grand Forks store at 2551 32nd Ave. S. as a stock associate, and he moved to the front-end cashier department that November. The complaint says he never received a warning or any other discipline during more than a year on the job.
The lawsuit states Luna has psychiatric conditions and that on July 3, 2026, he asked managers for an accommodation to bring his psychiatric service dog to work. According to the complaint, Walmart never granted or denied the request and never discussed it with him. Walmart fired him the next day, July 4, the complaint says.
The July 4 incident
The complaint says Luna was at the store before his shift that day as a customer, shopping with a friend, when a group of customers harassed them and threatened to physically assault his friend. The complaint says Luna responded by “assertively defending himself,” then reported to managers that he felt unsafe. According to the complaint, the customers kept approaching and following the two, and managers did not remove them from the store.
Later that day, managers asked Luna and other witnesses to write statements about what happened, according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges Walmart fired Luna without reviewing his statement. Walmart’s stated reason was that he was disrespectful toward the customers who harassed him, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges Walmart treated other employees more leniently, including for what it describes as more serious misconduct.
Other allegations
The complaint also alleges that managers delayed Luna’s transfer to the cashier department because of his gender identity, and that after he moved to the front end he was told not to correct customers who misgendered him. It alleges managers allowed some coworkers to continue making anti-transgender remarks because those coworkers were described as simply holding their views.
What he’s seeking
Luna is seeking back pay, reinstatement or front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and attorney’s fees. He is also asking the court to order Walmart to stop the alleged practices and adopt policies and training at the Grand Forks store to prevent discrimination and retaliation. The complaint does not name a dollar amount, and Luna has demanded a jury trial.
According to the complaint, Luna filed a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in August, and the agency issued him a notice of his right to sue on Sept. 10.
Walmart has not yet responded to the lawsuit in court.
This story is based on a civil complaint, which contains allegations that have not been proven in court
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