Bucks County Community College faces discriminatory firing complaint

A Southeastern Pennsylvania woman is suing the Bucks County Community College over

allegations that her employment of 10 years was terminated after she raised complaints about being treated in a discriminatory fashion.

Kim E. Dixon, of Bensalem, Pa., claims in her civil action, which was filed at the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on Dec. 18, that the college violated the American’s with Disabilities Act and various state laws when it fired her from her position in human resources.

The defendant, the suit alleges, claims Dixon lost her job due to restructuring, but the plaintiff asserts her firing was actually due to her complaining about being treated differently because of physical impairments.

The complaint states that Dixon, who was hired in the spring of 2001 to work in various administrative roles, including in human resources, suffered from a visual impairment and learning disabilities beginning back in 2002, the year after she was hired.

As a result of her impairments, Dixon’s ability to think, concentrate and perform other duties would be affected at times, the plaintiff claims in her lawsuit.

Toward the end of her employment, the lawsuit states, Dixon learned that management had reviewed her personnel file, prompting Dixon to have discussions with her supervisors about her specific health conditions.

Then, in mid-September of last year, Dixon was told her job was being eliminated.

“Shortly before Plaintiff was informed that her position was being ‘eliminated,’ Plaintiff had made specific complaints to her management about her view that they were treating her in a discriminatory manner based upon their perceptions of her health problems,” the complaint reads.

Dixon was told that her termination was “solely” due to restructuring at the workplace, but the plaintiff contends her firing was pretextual and actually due to her complaints of discriminatory treatment.

The complaint contains counts of wrongful termination, retaliation and discrimination.

Dixon seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees and other costs.

Dixon is being represented by Bensalem attorney Ari R. Karpf of the firm Karpf, Karpf & Cerutti.

 

The federal case number is 2:12-cv-07040-MAM.