NEW ORLEANS – A St. Tammany Parish woman says her employer terminated her after she took leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Faye Dennis filed a lawsuit on March 2 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Saint Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, doing business as Saint Tammany Parish Hospital, and Amy Loar, alleging FMLA violations.
According to the complaint, Dennis worked in various capacities for the defendant from 1974 through the end of 2013, when she took leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. In 2011, the suit says Dennis was diagnosed with chronic arthritis of the knee, requiring surgery in December 2013.
When she tried to return to work in May 2014 after weeks of physical therapy and recuperation, Dennis says her part-time mailroom job had been filled, and Loar offered her a strenuous job delivering supplies throughout the building. The suit says Dennis’ mailroom replacement worked full time and was paid twice what Dennis received for the same job.
Dennis seeks a jury trial; reinstatement or front pay; and compensatory damages for lost pay, benefits and earning capacity in an amount to be determined at trial. She is represented by attorney Dale E. Williams of the Law Office of Dale Edward Williams in Covington.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-01781-SM-KWR