{"id":175690,"date":"2017-12-02T11:42:26","date_gmt":"2017-12-02T16:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=175690"},"modified":"2017-12-02T11:42:26","modified_gmt":"2017-12-02T16:42:26","slug":"sues-planned-parenthood-discrimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/sues-planned-parenthood-discrimination\/","title":{"rendered":"BOMBSHELL: Former employee sues Planned Parenthood for discrimination after cancer diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Angela Brown, a former female employee of Planned Parenthood, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the abortion<\/a> corporation \u201cintentionally and willfully discriminated\u201d against her\u00a0by making it difficult for her to take medical leave when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.<\/p>\n

This alleged discrimination is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Brown first filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on March 28,2017, stating that she was fired from Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky<\/a> earlier this year after working for them since September of 2013.<\/p>\n

The EEOC reviewed her claim, and on August 29, 2017, sent Brown a Notice of Suit Rights. Brown then filed a discrimination complaint<\/a>\u00a0on November 27, 2017, in federal court,\u00a0seeking lost wages, punitive damages and reinstatement to her position.<\/p>\n

\"EEOC

EEOC Claim Angela Brown against Planned Parenthood<\/p><\/div>\n

Planned Parenthood Makes Cancer Treatment Difficult to Obtain<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the document<\/a>, obtained by Live Action News, in June 2016, Brown gave Planned Parenthood (Defendant) notice of her cervical cancer diagnosis. Due to the illness, she had to undergo several medical treatments, including trips to her doctor and a biopsy which Brown claims she had to receive every three months.<\/p>\n

“The Defendant made it difficult for Ms. Brown to take a day off every three (3) months in order to have her biopsy performed,” the lawsuit states, “The Defendant told Ms. Brown to schedule her biopsies for Mondays, as that would make it easier for her to have the day off. The Defendant continued to make it difficult for Ms. Brown to get the day off for her biopsy, even when scheduled on Mondays.”<\/p>\n

Planned\u00a0Parenthood Claims “Pain and Bleeding” Not a “Valid Reason” to Take the Day Off<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Brown’s claim, she told her employer that she was going to have cancer-related surgery. She says that on the day prior to her scheduled surgery, she received a text from Planned Parenthood denying her the day off without “a valid reason”:<\/p>\n

The day before her surgery, Ms. Brown called off of work due to pain and bleeding associated with her disability. The Defendant texted Ms. Brown stating \u201cyou will not take off without a valid reason.\u201d Ms. Brown had never called into work prior to this date. When Ms. Brown returned to work after surgery she had restrictions. It was difficult for Ms. Brown to sit due to her disability.\u00a0If and when Ms. Brown did sit she needed a comfortable chair.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Planned\u00a0Parenthood Fails to Accommodate a Disability<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brown said she was terminated two weeks later on March 20, 2017, the same day that she attended a staff meeting. Brown states that when she arrived at the staff meeting there were no chairs for her to sit on, so rather than “violate her restrictions in order to carry a chair into the room,” Brown said she opted to just stand.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit alleges that “Brown was told that her standing during the staff meeting was ‘intimidating’ and
\n‘disrespectful’ towards the Vice President.”<\/p>\n

\"Federal

Federal lawsuit claims Planned Parenthood violated ADA and FMLA.<\/p><\/div>\n

Brown alleges that Planned Parenthood violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and discriminated against her by failing to accommodate her condition.<\/p>\n

Planned Parenthood’s\u00a0<\/strong>Violates the Family Medical Leave Act<\/b><\/p>\n

In addition, Brown’s claim alleges Planned Parenthood also violated the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which, according to the Department of Labor<\/a>, “entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons….”<\/p>\n

Brown’s attorney, Heather Falks,\u00a0told<\/a> the Indy Star that Brown’s termination was “retaliation for an employee who was seeking leave.”<\/p>\n

According to the lawsuit, Brown “had numerous appointments and the Defendant made it difficult for her to be absent from work in order to attend these appointments; at no point did the Defendant allow Ms. Brown to use FMLA for these appointments. The Defendant terminated Ms. Brown in retaliation for attempting to use FMLA for her surgery and other treatments.”<\/p>\n

Multiple Employees File Discrimination Lawsuits Against Planned Parenthood<\/strong><\/p>\n

Falks also went after Planned Parenthood<\/a>, which masquerades<\/a> as a health care agency, telling the Indy Star that, “There’s an assumption that when you treat women with those issues, you’d be sympathetic to those issues.”<\/p>\n

This is not the first time a Planned Parenthood staffer has alleged discrimination against the abortion corporation.<\/p>\n