Tuesday marked the removal of a suit by an ex-employee against defendants Beacon Health Options, Inc. as well as several individuals. The complaint, which was filed in Orange County, Calif. state court alleges disability and gender-based discrimination.
The plaintiff, per the complaint, is an African-American female who was hired by defendant Beacon in June 2014 as a Provider Quality Manager. She contends that until she began working with her manager, she was “an exemplary employee with no performance issues.”
The complaint explains that the plaintiff’s work environment became increasingly hostile after she returned from bereavement leave following the death of her father. She informed her manager that she was considering going to therapy due to her struggles with her father’s death. The manager then began “suggesting that Plaintiff find alternate employment.”
Following the plaintiff’s bereavement leave, her manager allegedly began requiring her to perform tasks that were not detailed in her job description, when her white male colleagues were not required to do so.
When the plaintiff was written up for performance issues, her supervisor allegedly expressed anger towards the fact that Gholson had raised her concerns about her duties to management. She asserts that her supervisor used this to “[fabricate] reasons to issue discipline to Plaintiff.”
The plaintiff said she had informed Beacon about a health condition she had prior to any interaction with management; when the issues with her supervisor began, her health condition was exacerbated, per the complaint, and it was necessary for her to take a medical leave of absence. The plaintiff explains that she was harassed during her leave about when she would be returning and her supervisor frequently suggested that she find alternate employment.
Eventually, “as a result of the hostile work environment and [the supervisor]’s specific admonishment, Plaintiff believed that she did not have any other option but to resign.”
The complaint cites violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (disability discrimination, gender discrimination, harassment and retaliation). Other violations cited include failure to maintain discrimination and harassment free work environment, constructive termination, wrongful termination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiff seeks economic, general, special, punitive, and incidental damages, pre-judgment interest, an injunction against gender and disability-based harassment, discrimination, and retaliation and the creation of a corresponding policy, the imposition of periodic reporting requirements to Beacon, litigation fees, and any other relief deemed proper by the court.
She is represented in the litigation by the Law Office of Michael J. Curls.
