FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Employee Files Lawsuit against Coatesville Comprehensive Treatment Center for Retaliation and Wrongful Termination
Kathy, a previous counselor at Coatesville Comprehensive Treatment Center, embodies the “kind and understanding” characteristics that Coatesville boasts of in their staff and used to serve and help guide patients to recovery from addiction for almost four years. But when serious health conditions, including an acute blood disorder and osteoarthritis, caused her to request reasonable accommodations, Kathy professes that she faced unfair treatment, denial of reasonable accommodation, and wrongful termination. Now, as a client of KM&A, Kathy seeks legal justice against the wrongs that she endured.
Despite serious health conditions that hindered major life activities, Kathy soldiered on and did not falter from her work responsibilities. She connected with patients and provided care and therapy, just as she always had. But, as her health condition and diagnostic treatments intensified, Kathy needed to have surgery. She requested reasonable accommodation and FMLA leave for the surgery and recovery.
Although Kathy’s FMLA leave was confirmed, Coatesville failed to offer any reasonable accommodations according to Kathy. In fact, not only did Coatesville fail to provide a reasonable accommodation, but they allegedly berated and blamed Kathy when her health condition began to affect her work. The management dragged Kathy into a meeting where they screamed at her for lack of productivity and lateness in meetings with patients. Kathy respectfully reminded her bosses that her severe health conditions required accommodations and asked for a change in her schedule. Kathy contacted the HR department for accommodation and reported the hostility from her management. Nothing was done.
Around this same time, Kathy suffered a work-related slip and fall that required medical attention. Despite documenting the injury and sending medical papers to Coatseville, Kathy was fired because management claimed they never received the paperwork. When Kathy contacted the company about her worker’s compensation, they claimed no knowledge of her injury, the accompanying paperwork, or her termination. Instead, they alleged that she voluntarily quit. This is an obvious lie used to disguise the truth—Kathy was unlawfully terminated because of her disability. Of course, Coatesville denies all such claims.
The abuse of an employee casts serious doubts on the type of “kind and understanding” treatment offered by this facility. The law clearly protects employees with disabilities and requires employers to offer reasonable accommodation. No employee should face this type of treatment. KM&A exists to fight the illegal treatment of employees.
Full text of this complaint, as filed with the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is available at docket no: 2:17-cv-02279-ER
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 Jonathan Chase at 215-475-3504 or at jwc@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.
