FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Employee Files Lawsuit against Pittsburgh Action Against Rape for Disability Discrimination
Caroline joined the team at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape as a counselor in May 2015. Over a year later, Caroline noticed that her job had negative effects on her so she pursued treatment from a psychiatrist for anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Her daily work involved dealing with child sexual abuse, which was stressful and emotional. Caroline shared that she often dealt with nightmares, flashbacks, feelings of isolations, and difficulty concentrating.
A month or so after seeking treatment, Caroline began working under a different supervisor. She decided to share with her coworkers about her disabilities of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. During a training in March, Caroline mentioned her disabilities to the executive director. That same day, Caroline shared that the executive director singled her out in front of her coworkers, allegedly saying, “you don’t have any sick time left,” “are you ok,” and “this job isn’t for everyone.”That same day, Caroline shared that the executive director singled her out in front of her coworkers, allegedly saying, “you don’t have any sick time left,” “are you ok,” and “this job isn’t for everyone.” Naturally, Caroline was embarrassed by these statements and felt discriminated against for this response to her disabilities.
Bothered by the executive director’s words, Caroline checked into her sick leave and discovered that she still had 41 hours available to her. A few days later, Caroline received a document from her supervisor that outlined her work deficiencies in detail. Her supervisor wrote her up for not updating her calendar schedule and for retaining a long-term client who still needed her help. Caroline noted that no other coworker had received write ups for these things when she knew she wasn’t the only one with an un-updated calendar and long-term client. After receiving the write-ups, Caroline approached her supervisor, but he allegedly lashed out at her.
Caroline took initiative to write a letter to her supervisor, noting the alleged mistakes and reporting that she had corrected them as required. According to Caroline, she met with her supervisor, fully resolving the work problems, and Caroline believed that the employment relationship had been saved. But then, three days later, Caroline was terminated.
Due to the fact that Caroline’s supervisor piled on the write-ups after learning about her disabilities, Caroline suspects that her termination occurred because she shared about her anxiety, depression, and PTSD. As a client of KM&A, Caroline fights for her rights. KM&A advocates on behalf of employees like Caroline who experience discrimination and termination due to their disability.
Full text of this complaint, as filed with the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, is available at docket no: 2:18-cv-00327-LPL
Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC is an employment law firm with principal offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, serving all counties in Pennsylvania, focusing on employment law, business law, litigation, and civil issues. KM&A clients include employees, small businesses, parties in litigation, and people with a variety of legal issues.
For more information about this case, contact Attorney Christi Wallace at 412-626-5575 or at cw@lawkm.com.
NOTICE: All information contained in this statement comes from the Complaint which has been filed as a public record with the court. As dedicated civil rights attorneys, we strongly believe in the public value of telling our clients’ stories: violators can be held accountable, and other silent victims can feel empowered to stand up for their legal rights. Although we make every attempt to verify our clients’ claims, note that the defendant is expected to oppose our client’s position, and the court has not ruled one way or the other as of the date of this statement.
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