A former registered nurse at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena is suing his ex-employer, alleging he was fired in retaliation for complaining about being discriminated against because of his medical condition, which he feared could be compromised further by the coronavirus.
Robert Young brought the complaint Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate and failure to take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination and retaliation. He seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
A Huntington Memorial representative could not be immediately reached for comment.
Young was hired at the hospital in October 2016 and was an exemplary employee whose hours and pay increased as time passed, according to his court papers. In April, he sought treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, and his doctor ordered him not to treat the hospital’s COVID-19 patients, according to his suit.
Young says he sought time off under the California Family Rights Act due to his health and his request was approved May 15. But in early June, hospital management “began to single out plaintiff and criticize his performance,” the suit alleges.
After Young complained of discrimination and retaliation, management reacted by firing him, saying he did not have a required bachelor’s degree in nursing, according to his court papers. Young alleges the explanation was a “pretext for discrimination” because management knew when he was hired that he did not have such a degree and that other RNs who work there also do not.
Although Young told hospital management about his health and provided notes from his doctors documenting his claims, no effort was made to accommodate him for his condition, the suit alleges.