Disability Discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued The Princess Martha, LLC and affiliates after Sarah Branyan, a disabled applicant, was denied a job without proper accommodation. Branyan requested adjustments for the application process, but the company refused. The EEOC argued this violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Defendants denied discrimination and claimed no feasible adjustment existed. After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence, a Florida jury found Branyan qualified and The Princess Martha negligent. The jury awarded $5,083 in lost wages, $50,000 for emotional harm, and $350,000 in punitive damages, reinforcing employers’ responsibility to engage in good-faith accommodation efforts.

A Connecticut jury sided with former Hartford police officer Alfred Lassen in his lawsuit against the City of Hartford. Lassen claimed the City refused to rehire him because of his narcolepsy and because he had previously filed discrimination complaints. After reviewing testimony, employment records, and expert evidence, the jury found that the City had discriminated against him and retaliated in violation of the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act. The verdict awarded him $61,350 in economic damages and $53,250 in noneconomic damages, totalling $114,600.

Berta Cifuentes, a longtime employee at Costco’s Goleta warehouse, claimed she was wrongfully terminated after correcting a minor timekeeping error. Diagnosed with depression and anxiety, she said the company ignored her requests for accommodations and used the clock-in discrepancy as a pretext to fire her. Cifuentes filed suit alleging disability discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination. At trial, her attorneys presented surveillance footage and expert testimony suggesting the termination was pre-planned. Costco countered with arguments that she had violated company policy and had never formally requested accommodations. After deliberation, the jury sided with Costco on all claims, awarding no damages. The case highlighted complex issues around workplace disability rights, employer policies, and retaliation protections.

A Los Angeles jury awarded $27.5 million to Nancy Valla, a former nurse executive at St. Mary Medical Center, operated by Dignity Health. Valla alleged she was retaliated against and constructively terminated after pushing for suicide-prevention measures following a tragic death on hospital grounds. She also sought accommodations for PTSD and depression, which she claimed were denied. The jury found that Dignity Health had discriminated against her and failed to accommodate her mental health disability. The swift and unanimous verdict delivered a clear rebuke of the hospital’s treatment of a whistleblower and healthcare professional seeking workplace support.