A dyslexic woman is suing a Houston medical center, alleging her employer discriminated against her, resulting in her wrongful termination.
Karla Sloan filed a lawsuit June 12 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, charging its employees with discrimination because she is dyslexic.
Dyslexia is listed as a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code.
According to the complaint, Sloan worked at the Cancer Center as an animal resources technician, being allowed accommodations for her unusual work needs. But after informing her co-workers about her condition, she alleges they began harassing, taunting and demeaning her. She also started receiving disciplinary notices and says her supervisors ignored her questions, the suit says.
After two years of back and forth between the plaintiff and her supervisors and human resources, she was terminated Dec. 11, 2013, the suit says.
Sloan does not seek reinstatement, but rather a permanent injunction against the defendant to prevent future discrimination against a disabled employee. She also asks for back pay, past and future loss of earnings and benefits, compensatory damages for past and future pain and mental suffering, reasonable attorney fees and court costs. She is represented by attorney Katrina Patrick of Houston.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 4:15-cv-01682.