A former employee is taking legal action against a local car dealership, alleging wrongful termination due to his medical condition. On September 13, 2024, Stephen Dodson filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Oxford Valley Imports, Inc., which operates as Mike Piazza Honda and/or Mike Piazza Honda of Langhorne.
Dodson's lawsuit claims that he was unlawfully terminated from his position as a Service Advisor after only one month of employment due to his cancer diagnosis and the need for surgery. According to the court documents, Dodson informed his supervisor, Michael McGonigal, about his health condition and upcoming surgery when he was hired in early June 2023. Despite initial assurances that taking time off for surgery would not be an issue, Dodson was abruptly fired on June 30, 2023—just days before his scheduled medical leave.
The complaint outlines how Dodson had been performing well in his role and had received positive feedback from management. However, upon reminding McGonigal about his need for time off on July 3rd for tumor removal surgery, McGonigal allegedly asked for details about Dodson's health condition. When Dodson disclosed that he had cancer, he was terminated shortly thereafter without any performance-related reasons given.
Dodson asserts that this termination violates both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA). He argues that his dismissal was a direct result of discrimination based on his disability and in retaliation for requesting reasonable accommodations—a brief medical leave. The lawsuit further alleges that Oxford Valley Imports failed to accommodate Dodson’s health needs and terminated him to avoid future obligations related to his medical condition.
In seeking judgment from the court, Dodson requests several forms of relief: reinstatement or compensation equivalent to what he would have earned if not wrongfully terminated (including back pay and benefits), punitive damages for emotional distress and suffering caused by the unlawful termination, reimbursement of legal costs and attorney fees, and an order mandating the defendant to implement policies preventing future discrimination.
Representing Stephen Dodson is Ari R. Karpf from Karpf, Karpf & Cerutti P.C., while no specific attorneys are listed yet for Oxford Valley Imports. The case has been assigned Case ID 2:24-cv-04853 in front of an unspecified judge at this time.