Belle Vernon woman sues medical facility over alleged disability discrimination
A Belle Vernon woman has filed a lawsuit in federal court against an Allegheny County medical facility for not hiring her because of a medical issue she had when she previously worked for them.
On Tuesday, Sean L. Ruppert, the attorney for Shannon Indolf, filed the suit naming the Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Jefferson Hills as the defendant over alleged disability discrimination.
According to the complaint, Indolf suffers from Ulcertative Colitis (UC), an inflammatory disease with no cure that causes extreme abdominal pain during flare-ups that can cause hospitalization.
Indolf, a registered nurse with over 15 years experience, accepted a nursing position with the medical center on July 2, 2014, with her first day of active work scheduled for Aug. 4.
While she was admitted into the hospital from a UC flare-up on July 29, she was released prior to her start date and started Aug. 4.
She was again admitted to the hospital on Aug. 18 for a flare-up and remained hospitalized for two weeks before being released and returning to work.
Indolf continued to suffer from recurring flare-ups for the remainder of 2014, and her doctor recommended that she take a short-term disability leave in December.
She was approved for the short-term leave with her last day at the medical center on Dec. 13 but was contacted by the medical center’s obstetrics program director on Dec. 22 to say she was being terminated and replaced due to “department needs,” according to the suit.
After several months of treatment, Indolf’s symptoms went into remission, and she was cleared to return to work in May 2015.
When she contacted the medical center, they informed her that she could apply for other openings, the suit stated.
The medical center was advertising several open nursing positions for which Indolf was qualified, but after she applied to several and did not hear from the center, she called a nurse manager who informed her that they never received her application, according to the suit.
Indolf then contacted the center’s human resources department and was informed that she would not be considered for any positions due to “attendance issues,” the filing contended.
Indof is seeking a judgment against the Jefferson Regional Medical Center and seeking damages for loss of wages, front pay as deemed by the court, compensatory and punitive damages and legal fees.