Allweiss
A saleswoman has filed a lawsuit against her employer that claims she was harassed for taking leave to care for sick mother.
Claiming her employer violated the Family and Medical Leave Act, Mary Jane Soule filed suit against RSC Equipment Rental Inc. on Aug. 16 in federal court in New Orleans.
Soule was employed as an outside sales person for the defendant in its New Orleans office from Jan. 1, 1996 through Jan. 14, 2011, when her employment was terminated.
According to the lawsuit, Soule began commuting to and from Pensacola, Fla. in October 2009, on the weekends to care for her sick mother. Soule claims that soon after she began commuting, the defendant began a campaign of harassment and retaliation against her, including scheduling meetings when it was known Soule would be out of town and putting unwarranted pressure on Soule about her job performance. She was not informed about her rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act until a year after she began commuting. She states that although her intermittent leave was approved, her employer continued its campaign of harassment and retaliation, which culminated in her termination in January 2011.
The plaintiff is asking the Court for an award of lost wages, salary, employment benefits, compensation, interest, liquidated damages, attorney's fees and court costs.
Soule is represented by Michael R. Allweiss and Marynell L. Piglia of Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver in New Orleans.
Case No. 2:11-cv-02022