A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a prominent education corporation, alleging severe discrimination and retaliation. Dawn Newell filed the complaint on August 16, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Perdoceo Education Corporation, doing business as Career Education Corporation.
The lawsuit claims that Newell faced discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) due to her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Hired as a Senior Admissions Advisor in February 2020, Newell's job was to assist students in signing up for college. Her performance had always been satisfactory, and she was recognized as a top performer on her team. However, her life took a drastic turn when she was involved in a car accident in the fall of 2023. Subsequent medical examinations revealed that she had Multiple Sclerosis. She informed her supervisors about her condition and began attending necessary medical appointments.
Despite being transparent about her health issues and maintaining high performance at work, Newell alleges that she faced immediate backlash from her employer. In January 2024, she started scheduling doctor’s appointments for treatments related to her diagnosis. Her supervisor was aware of these appointments and the associated costs covered by the company's insurance plan. On March 14, 2024, despite being listed on the "Advisor Leaderboard" as a top performer earlier that day, Newell was abruptly terminated during a meeting with two directors who cited unsubstantiated performance issues as the reason for her dismissal.
Newell contends that this termination was not only unjust but also an act of retaliation for using company-provided health benefits for her treatments. She claims that the reasons given for her termination were fabricated and discriminatory based on her disability status.
In addition to wrongful termination, Newell accuses Perdoceo Education Corporation of failing to accommodate her disability reasonably and subjecting her to harassment based on her condition. She asserts that these actions are clear violations of the ADA and have caused significant emotional distress, loss of income, employment benefits, and overall enjoyment of life.
Newell is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, loss of benefits compensation, reasonable attorney fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Dawn Newell is Alexander J. Taylor from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while details regarding attorneys representing Perdoceo Education Corporation were not provided in this document. The case is presided over by Judge Amrith Kaur Aakre under Case ID: 1:24-cv-07372.