PHILADELPHIA – A former employee of Aries Electronics is suing the company, alleging he was discriminated against for taking medical leave and was wrongfully terminated as a result.
Joseph Baus filed a lawsuit on March 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Aries Electronics, citing violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
According to the complaint, Baus was hired by the defendant on July 31, 2013, working as a quality control manager. In January 2015, the plaintiff claims that he began to take off approximately one day per month to care for his wife, who was suffering from cancer. On June 19, 2015, Baus suffered a stroke while at work and had to miss several days of work following his hospitalization, the suit states.
The plaintiff avers that throughout his and his wife’s medical problems, his supervisor treated him in a hostile manner in regards to Baus taking time off work. In August 2015, the plaintiff states that his supervisor informed him that he would be switched from salary to hourly work and that his wife would no longer have health benefits. Baus claims that he refused to sign the release and was subsequently terminated in alleged violation of his rights to health care.
Baus seeks compensation for all lost wages and benefits that resulted from his termination, punitive and/or liquidated damages, equitable and legal relief, costs, expenses, attorney’s fees and a trial by jury. He is represented by Ari R. Karpf of Karpf, Karpf & Cerutti PC, in Bensalem.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:16-cv-01310-WB