Susan Forman, a former employee of a major health system, has filed a lawsuit alleging severe workplace discrimination and harassment due to her hearing disability. The complaint was filed by Susan Forman in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on January 26, 2025, against Ochsner Health System. Forman accuses her former employer of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through creating a hostile work environment, engaging in disability discrimination, and retaliating against her for asserting her rights.
The lawsuit details Forman's experiences working at Ochsner Health System starting from December 5, 2022. Despite disclosing her hearing disability during the hiring process and requesting necessary accommodations such as adequate training and an automatic blood pressure machine, Forman alleges that she faced persistent harassment from coworkers who mocked her disability and denied assistance. "I know she can hear me," was one of the derogatory comments made by colleagues Cindy Melendez, Karen, and Amanda. Furthermore, when she reported these incidents to supervisors and HR representatives like Dana Williamson and Bridget Deleon, they either dismissed her concerns or refused to intervene.
Forman’s allegations extend to claims of physical intimidation; notably, she recounts an incident where Melendez shoved her into a desk without facing any disciplinary action. In addition to this hostile environment, Forman claims that Ochsner failed to provide reasonable accommodations or engage in an interactive process required under the ADA. Her requests for necessary tools were met with resistance or outright denial—such as when Supervisor Erika Magee told her that if she couldn't use a manual blood pressure machine due to her hearing impairment, she couldn’t work there.
Despite escalating complaints about harassment and discrimination to Human Resources in April 2023, Forman states that no corrective actions were taken. Instead, she discovered emails suggesting discussions about firing her. Ultimately, on April 28, 2023, after repeated attempts to seek resolution through internal channels proved futile, Forman was terminated under what she believes were pretextual circumstances—allegedly told by Manager Kaleigh Pessin that "we don’t need you anymore."
Through this legal action, Susan Forman seeks compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits due to unlawful termination along with punitive damages for emotional distress caused by the alleged discriminatory practices at Ochsner Health System. She also demands injunctive relief ensuring compliance with ADA standards within the organization.
Representing Susan Forman are attorneys Christopher A. Minias and Karl White from The Minias Law Firm based in New Orleans. The case is presided over by judges at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana under Case ID: 2:25-cv-00174.