PHILADELPHIA - A woman who worked as a legal administrative assistant for the firm Ballard Spahr is suing it, claiming retaliation for missing time from work while her husband fought cancer.
Dori Gardiner has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, Ballard Spahr LLP, alleging discriminatory and retaliatory employment practices.
The complaint, filed May 29 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, asserts that Gardiner was terminated due to her association with her disabled husband and for utilizing leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Gardiner's husband was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, leading her to request intermittent FMLA leave to care for him. Despite initially accommodating her requests, Gardiner claims she faced hostility from colleagues and was ultimately fired under pretextual reasons related to performance issues.
She was fired Sept. 28, 2022. She says she was told she was "making too many mistakes and taking too much time off from work," the suit says. She requested a transfer to a different department or too a lesser position but was rejected, she adds.
Nine months later, she lot her husband. She seeks damages exceeding $150,000 for lost earnings, emotional distress, and other relief.
Sidney Gold of The Gold Law Firm represents the plaintiff.