Wrongful termination happens every day to employees in every industry and compensation level.
Recently, a former employee of a grocer filed a lawsuit alleging that he was terminated because of a disability. The man has cerebral palsy and, as he was recovering at a rehab center, he learned that his employer was firing him. Although he’d worked for the company for 16 years, the reason for his termination was missing work days.
His attorney states that the man was first employed as a bagger. He later became a cashier. He was never “written up” or disciplined by the employer over the first 10 years of his employment.
However, when a new store manager arrived in 2009, he seemed to target the man. He was written up for lateness and moving his body at the workstation. The new manager suspended him three times over the next six years.
Cerebral palsy affects muscle control. It is a neurological disorder. Some cases of cerebral palsy result from birth injuries.
In 2015, the man learned he was forming blood clots because of his cerebral palsy condition. He didn’t go to work for 12 days in January 2015 and for one week in March. The employer notified him that, because he was a part-time employee, he didn’t qualify for temporary disability or paid leave.
The man claims in a federal lawsuit that the store management targeted him because of his cerebral palsy disability. He believes the termination was discriminatory. He is suing the former employer for wrongful termination and discrimination.
The lawsuit alleges emotional distress, mental anguish, and humiliation. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages for the past and future loss of income, plus attorney’s fees and costs. The lawsuit was originally filed in Camden County Superior Court but was later transferred to federal court.
If you or someone you care about has experienced a wrongful termination, contact Begelman & Orlow, Attorneys at Law, in Cherry Hill, NJ and Conshohocken, PA. We serve clients throughout Southern New Jersey and the greater Philadelphia, PA metropolitan area.