PHILADELPHIA — A former employee a Philadelphia health care business, alleging discrimination and wrongful termination.
Paula Patton filed a lawsuit Feb. 17 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Philadelphia Post-Acute Partners LLC, doing business as Good Shepherd Penn Partners, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA).
According to the complaint, Patton was employed by Good Shepherd from Jan. 2, 2013, until Sept. 4, 2014, when she was promoted from staff hospitalist to lead hospitalist. Her contract stipulated that she would work seven days, then have seven days off, working no more than 12 hours per shift, the suit says.
In 2003, the plaintiff was diagnosed with epilepsy, the lawsuit states, but she had not had a seizure in approximately 10 years. On Aug. 15, 2014, the complaint says, due to unreasonable and intolerable working conditions imposed upon her, including being required to work a shift exceeding 24 hours, Patton suffered a seizure.
The plaintiff says she sent a letter to the defendant Aug. 16, 2014, informing it of the intolerable conditions and told the defendant she would only work until Dec. 20, 2014. After a series of e-mails and letters, the complaint says, Patton was terminated despite having been offered a reinstatement of the terms of her original contract. The plaintiff alleges the actions were willfully discriminatory of her disability.
Patton seeks compensation for wages and benefits, front pay, punitive damages, compensatory damages for future pecuniary losses, pre and post-judgment interest, costs, attorney fees and a trial by jury. She is represented by attorney Sidney L. Gold of Sidney L. Gold & Associates PC in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:16-cv-00755-SD