Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, LITIGATION NEWS, TRENDS—New ADA, FMLA, Title VII lawsuits worth noting, (Nov 17, 2025)

By Jonathan Anderson

Employers facing new lawsuits by former employees include a healthcare provider, cybersecurity firm, public university, and credit union.

In Alessi v. Northwell Health et al., Case No. 2:25-cv-06263-ARL, filed in the Eastern District of New York on November 11, 2025, the plaintiff, a physician assistant, alleged disability discrimination and retaliation against his former employer, a hospital, under the ADA and New York Executive Law. After the plaintiff was assaulted at his home, he was hospitalized for three days, including 12 hours in a medically induced coma. The attack left him with a traumatic brain injury and significant facial deformity requiring a steel plate implant in his skull, among other severe injuries. Two months after the attack, Northwell terminated the plaintiff’s employment citing the plaintiff’s purported failure to provide medical documentation of his disability. However, the plaintiff alleged that his physician failed to send the required disability paperwork. The plaintiff alleged that Northwell ignored his accommodation needs, mismanaged leave communications, and used pretextual reasons for termination. The complaint sought various damages, attorney’s fees, and equitable relief.

In Blake v. Five Iron, Inc., Case No. 5:25-cv-00723-D-BM, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina on November 11, 2025, the plaintiff alleged disability discrimination, FMLA interference, and retaliation against his former employer, a Tennessee-based cybersecurity firm. The plaintiff alleged that Five Iron violated the ADA, FMLA, and Title VII in terminating his employment. According to the complaint, the plaintiff had been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer and underwent surgery to treat it. Several months after the surgery, the plaintiff learned that the prostate cancer had metastasized into his lymph nodes. He subsequently informed the company’s CEO about his updated diagnosis and disclosed that he would begin radiation treatment. Days later, Five Iron terminated the plaintiff’s employment, giving the reason that supervisors did not believe the plaintiff could hit sales goals. The plaintiff was allegedly the only employee discharged from the team, even though the plaintiff’s performance numbers were identical to those of his colleagues and the company’s CEO had recently told staff that sales had been flat companywide, according to the complaint. The plaintiff sought compensatory and punitive damages in addition to attorney’s fees.

In Bullock v. Norfolk State University (NSU), Case No. 2:25-cv-00733-JKW-LRL, filed in the Eastern District of Virginia on November 11, 2025, the plaintiff alleged sex, pregnancy, and disability discrimination, retaliation, and FMLA interference against her former employer, a public university in Virginia. The plaintiff, who earned a Ph.D. in materials science, held a non-tenured administrative/professional faculty appointment as a postdoctoral researcher at NSU funded through a National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship. Among her claims, the plaintiff alleged that she was subjected to disparate treatment compared to similarly situated male postdocs, denied resources, and denied accommodations for preeclampsia. The plaintiff further alleged that NSU took adverse actions against her after she raised concerns about discrimination and ultimately discharged her without sufficient notice. In so doing, the complaint alleged that NSU violated the ADA, FMLA, Title VII, the Virginia Human Rights Act, and NSF fellowship obligations. The complaint sought reinstatement or front pay, compensatory damages, and attorney’s fees.

In Kline v. Allegent Community Federal Credit Union, Case No. 2:25-cv-01752-WSS, filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania on November 11, 2025, the plaintiff alleged disability discrimination and unlawful retaliation against her former employer under the ADA and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. The plaintiff alleged that shortly after her promotion to assistant branch manager—less than two months after being hired as a member services representative—she went on short-term disability because of a herniated disc. The plaintiff underwent decompression surgery and remained on short-term disability until returning to work several months later. Over the course of five months, the plaintiff alleged that she had requested various accommodations and additional medical leave because of her condition, in part for multiple surgeries. Allegent later informed the plaintiff that it would not provide her with accommodations unless she transferred to a call-center representative position, which the plaintiff eventually agreed to do. However, because of medical complications, the plaintiff informed Allegent that she could not return to work for nearly two months. Allegent subsequently terminated the plaintiff’s employment. The complaint sought reinstatement or front pay, compensatory damages, and attorney’s fees.

Companies: Northwell Health; Five Iron, Inc.; Norfolk State University; Allegent Community Federal Credit Union

News: LitigationNewsTrends DisabilityDiscrimination Discrimination EmployeeLeave StateLawClaims Retaliation PregnancyDiscrimination SexDiscrimination ContractClaims