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Friday, March 29, 2024

Former employee accuses Children's Hospital of Philadelphia of disability discrimination

Discrimination 05

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PHILADELPHIA — A former purchasing assistant is suing Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, citing alleged harassment and discrimination.

Najah Jordan filed a complaint June 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging that the hospital fired her because of a disability and in retaliation for her complaints of disability discrimination and because she put in a request for an intermittent medical leave related to her disability.

According to the complaint, between June 17, 2016 and July 20. 2017, Jordan was written up by new manager Christine Tilson for being late to work. The plaintiff said she explained that she suffers from epilepsy, which causes her severe fatigue and difficulty waking up early in the morning, and mentioned that her former manager allowed her to arrive at work by 9:30 a.m. without being considered late.

The plaintiff claims Tilson told her that she must arrive by 8:45 a.m. to be considered on time, refusing to honor the previous accommodation.

Jordan said she complained to the defendant’s human resources department about Tilson’s repeated harassment regarding her disability, but got no response.

Jordan said her application for intermittent medical leave, submitted on July 20, 2017, was immediately approved, but she was fired over the phone later that day.

The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks reimbursement of past and future lost earnings, liquidated damages and/or punitive damages, costs and expenses of the action. She is represented by Richard Swartz and Carley Doyle of Swartz Swidler LLC in Cherry Hill.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:18-cv-02622-MAK

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