Woman says she was fired because of her disability
Keren Rivas, Times-News, Burlington, N.C.
Times-News (Burlington, North Carolina)
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
Copyright 2006 Times-News
GRAHAM, N.C. — A former EMS worker is suing the county, saying she was fired from her job because of her disability.
Ethiel Estes, who suffers from an autoimmune disorder, claims she was fired from the Alamance County Emergency Medical Services department in February and was replaced by someone with less experience who didn’t have a disability.
Estes argues in a complaint filed in Alamance County Superior Court earlier this week that, though she had to receive periodic treatment for her con dition, she did not request any signifi cant modification of her job functions.
However, the complaint says, “she was perceived to require excessive accommodation and was perceived to be a liability” to the department.
Estes says she was reprimanded and disciplined for alleged absences due to her chronic health problem.
She was even demoted to paramedic status, the complaint says. Estes claims county authorities failed to respond to her concerns about dis ability discrimination and retaliation in the workplace by her supervisors.
She also said her manager “repeat edly questioned” her need for physi cal therapy for an injury she suffered while on the job in May of last year.
Besides the loss of earnings and retirement benefits, Estes claims she has suffered emotional distress and pain as a result of being fired.
She is asking for at least $10,000 in damages. She is also asking the court to order she be reinstated in her position and be restored all her wages and benefits plus interest.
EMS Director Chuck Man cillas declined to comment on the lawsuit. A call to the coun ty attorney was not returned before press time.
According to the county’s human resources department, Estes was hired as a telecom municator on January 1994. In the 12 years she worked for the county, she held positions as an EMT paramedic, 911 coordina tor and EMS training officer.