Disability Discrimination Suit Filed on Behalf of Plaintiff Suffering From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
On September 8, 2011, Beranbaum Menken filed a disability discrimination suit alleging that Graham Windham, a New York-based foster care placement agency, discriminated against one of its employees because she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. The employee had performed outstanding work for the agency for years, overseeing the successful placement of countless children in foster homes throughout the city and earning accolades from the city of New York and Graham Windham itself. However, the complaint alleges that once her disability was discovered, her employer no longer believed that she was capable of performing her job, resulting in severe harassment, culminating in her termination. Under federal and local laws, such stereotyped assumptions about people with disabilities cannot legally form the basis for adverse employment actions. The suit therefore seeks compensation for violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, as well as state and local human rights laws.