A Narvon woman claims she was terminated from her job at a Coatesville health care facility because of her disability and request for accommodation.
Dawn Reiter filed a lawsuit Sept. 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Brandywine Hospital, citing violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to the complaint, Reiter began working for the defendant as a RN staff nurse in June 2011. She suffers from numerous chronic pain conditions that are considered disabilities under the ADA as they affect her major life activities, including concentrating.
The suit states that in May 2013 Reiter gave a note from her pain clinic physician to the director of nursing, requesting an accommodation for her disability. The request was to split Reiter's one-hour break into multiple 10-15 minute breaks throughout her shift so she could rest. Before Reiter had the chance to give the note to human resources, as she never received a status update on her request for accommodation from the nursing director, she was informed in June 2014 that was she suspended with no reason given. She was then terminated two months later.
Reiter alleges, in the lawsuit, she was terminated because of her disability and in retaliation for asking for an accommodation and complaining that no action was made with regards to her request.
Reiter seeks damages, plus attorney fees, court costs and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
He is being represented by attorney Richard B. Bateman Jr. in Media.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 5:15-cv-05060-JLS