NEW ORLEANS -- A woman is claiming to have suffered multiple instances of discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, wrongful demotion and FMLA violation of privacy while on leave as an employee of Jefferson Parish's Department of Juvenile Services.
Donya Decou-Snowton filed a complaint on July 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Jefferson Parish, Roy Junker, Christopher Trosclair, Gretchen Tilton and Joan Ruiz for disparate treatment-gender, retaliation, discrimination based on race and gender and retaliation, wrongful demotion, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation.
According to the complaint, Snowden began her employment with the Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services in October 2008 until June 8, 2020. She served as a Juvenile Probation Officer 3 until her wrongful demotion to Juvenile Home Detention Supervisor, she says, on November 30, 2019. During that time, Trosclair is the Assistant Director for the Department of Juvenile Service, Tilton is the Assistant Director for Human Resources Management and HR Manager and Ruiz is the former Probation Manager for the Department of Juvenile Services.
Snowden alleges that during her term of employment, in the spring of 2019, she began being subjected to discrimination and harassment. Snowden alleges to have gone through the proper channels to file complaints but was retaliated against.
On November 29, 2019, Snowden informed human resources about her plan to take Family and Medical Leave Act leave. During her leave, HR and other management monitored her Facebook account and later punished her for being on vacation while on FMLA leave for her sick husband who ultimately passed while she was on leave, she says.
Snowden seeks front pay, back pay, pre-judgment interest, loss of benefits, past and future losses, affirmative relief, attorney's fees and cost of suit. Snowden is represented by Stephanie Dovalina.
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:21-cv-01302-SSV-DMD