PHILADELPHIA — A former fresh food manager is suing former employer Wawa Inc., citing alleged hostile work environment, violation of civil rights, and wrongful or constructive termination.
Christina Campellone filed a complaint on April 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the defendant, alleging that it violated the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Pennsylvania Human Rights Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that, in December 2014, she notified a manager of her intent to breastfeed her newborn son and asked for time and space to express breast milk twice a day. After a leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, she alleges, she was instructed to use the common room to express breast milk and on several occasions her colleagues invaded her privacy. On April 4, 2015, she notified defendant that she was resigning on April 18, 2015, she alleges.
As a result, she claims, she has suffered and will continue to suffer damages due to loss of past and future earnings, emotional distress and humiliation. The plaintiff holds Wawa Inc. responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to provide reasonable space to express breast milk, subjected her to a hostile working environment, failed to take corrective action to preclude her colleagues from further invading her privacy and retaliated against her for exercising her rights under the FMLA.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks declaration that defendant violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, back pay, liquidated damages, attorney's fees and all costs for this action, pre- and post-judgement interest and such other relief as is just and equitable. She is represented by Michael Patrick Murphy, Jr. of Murphy Law Group LLL in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:16-cv-01948