Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, LITIGATION NEWS, TRENDS—Employees allege disability bias and retaliation in new lawsuits, (Oct 17, 2025)

By George Basharis, J.D.

Three recently filed complaints in Ohio and Michigan accuse employers in manufacturing, health care, and hospital settings of discrimination, retaliation, and failure to accommodate under federal and state disability laws.

In Duncan v. Greenlight Optics, LLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-00741-JPH, filed October 14, 2025, in the Southern District of Ohio, a former assembly manager claims that the optics manufacturer discriminated against her based on her attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and seasonal affective disorder. The complaint states that she disclosed her conditions to supervisors and repeatedly sought accommodations to manage her workload, including a written job description and staffing support. Despite assurances from management, those accommodations were never implemented.

The employee further alleges that her supervisors responded to her disclosure of mental health struggles by criticizing traits associated with her disabilities and issuing a performance plan that characterized her mental health as a deficiency. She asserts that her employment was terminated after she complained to human resources and that the company refused to rehire her because she mentioned possible legal action. The filing adds that she was replaced by younger, non-disabled employees who had not engaged in protected activity and that the company’s actions violated both federal and Ohio civil rights law.

Another recently-filed lawsuit, Melko v. The Laurels of Steubenville, Case No. 2:25-cv-01200-SDM-KAJ, also filed October 14, 2025, in the Southern District of Ohio, involves a receptionist at a skilled-nursing facility who contends she was required to perform physically demanding resident-care tasks outside her job description despite medical restrictions following knee-replacement surgery. The employee claims her supervisor refused to excuse her from these duties even after she provided medical documentation limiting her to desk work.

According to the complaint, the employee’s condition made it difficult to walk the facility’s long, uneven hallways. She alleges that her supervisor ignored requests for accommodation, pressured her to perform unsafe rounds, and disciplined her after she suffered a workplace fall that resulted in a facial fracture. When her attorney later contacted the employer to discuss accommodations, the company allegedly terminated her employment three days later, citing “failure to respond.” The lawsuit seeks reinstatement, back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees, asserting violations of the ADA and Ohio’s state law prohibiting discrimination and retaliation based on disability.

In Thomas v. McLaren Greater Lansing, Case No. 1:25-cv-01234-JMB-RSK, filed in the Western District of Michigan, a registered nurse with a long tenure at a Lansing hospital alleges that he was harassed and placed on unpaid leave because of a tremor condition aggravated by a previous stroke. The complaint states that the nurse performed his duties successfully for years and was fully capable of working safely despite his condition.

After transferring to the intensive-care unit in 2023, the nurse claims he was subjected to repeated comments and conduct that created a hostile work environment. He alleges that management ignored his complaints and instead placed him on indefinite unpaid leave based on unspecified “safety” concerns. According to the filing, the leave amounted to a constructive termination because the hospital provided no process for reinstatement. The complaint also faults the hospital for failing to train supervisors on disability law and for disregarding its duty to provide reasonable accommodations. The nurse seeks compensatory and punitive damages, back pay, and attorneys’ fees under the ADA and the Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act.

Companies: McLaren Greater Lansing; The Laurels of Steubenville; Greenlight Optics LLC

News: LitigationNewsTrends Discrimination DisabilityDiscrimination StateLawClaims Discharge Retaliation