Lakeeya Witherspoon has filed a lawsuit against Park View Rehab Center, LLC in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois. The case, 1:24-cv-03691, was filed on May 7, 2024. Witherspoon alleges sex-based discrimination, pregnancy-based discrimination, harassment and retaliation by her employer in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2023.
The plaintiff claims that after experiencing pelvic pain and heavy bleeding during her pregnancy, she was instructed by her doctor to be on light duty at work. Despite initially accommodating this request, Park View Rehab Center allegedly reassigned her to tasks involving heavy lifting.
The plaintiff alleges that as a result of this reassignment, she was rushed to the emergency room with heavy bleeding, endangering both her life and that of her unborn child. She also claims that upon presenting paperwork from her doctor requesting light duty accommodation to Elsa Gonzales and Cassandra (last name unknown), representatives for the defendant, Gonzales told her "There's no such thing as light duty in a nursing home."
Witherspoon is seeking redress for the alleged violations under Title VII and PWFA. She is demanding a jury trial and presumably seeks compensation for damages caused by these alleged actions.