Disability Discrimination

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.