Pennsylvania Partner Secures Jury Verdict in Disability Discrimination Case

Pittsburgh partner Trisha A. Gill recently obtained a defense jury verdict on behalf of our credit union client in a case involving allegations of disability discrimination filed in the Kanawha County Circuit Court in West Virginia.

Plaintiff, an 18-year former employee of our credit union client, worked as a loan officer. While employed with the credit union in 2018, she took an extended leave of absence following the death of her son. In 2020, Plaintiff claimed she suffered a panic attack and requested another leave of absence from the credit union. After consideration, our client determined that the requested leave of absence would cause an undue hardship due to the current staffing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and denied Plaintiff’s requested leave of absence and terminated her employment.

Plaintiff filed suit claiming disability discrimination, retaliation and failure to accommodate. Plaintiff also alleged invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming that our client disclosed her medical condition and personal information to employees.

At trial, our Pittsburgh attorney Trisha Gill maintained that our client’s pandemic-related staffing challenges made it difficult to efficiently serve its members, and that granting Plaintiff a leave of absence would add additional stress on our client’s employees and impact its member services. Following a five-day trial in March 2022, the jury returned a defense verdict for our credit union client.

Trisha focuses her practice on the defense of employers in employment discrimination claims in federal court, state court and administrative agencies. She has litigated numerous claims alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Americans’ with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment, Family Medical Leave Act and whistleblower claims. Trisha has additional experience defending professional liability and general liability claims for personal injuries, catastrophic loss and wrongful death. She is licensed to practice law in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and is admitted in the federal courts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.