A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a prominent research organization, alleging disability discrimination and retaliation. Megan Rinehart filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 28, 2024, accusing Fermi Research Alliance, LLC d/b/a Fermi National Accelerator Lab of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to the complaint, Rinehart was hired as a Talent Development Programs Specialist on January 8, 2024. Her responsibilities included overseeing large-scale programs and onboarding new employees. Despite her qualifications and ability to perform her job duties, Rinehart suffers from fibromyalgia, which causes severe pain in her lumbar region. On January 16, 2024, she informed her direct manager, Holly Lett, about her condition and requested reasonable accommodations such as a private office and a standing desk to manage her symptoms. Initially, Lett assured Rinehart that no doctor's note was needed and provided her with a standing desk.
However, issues arose when another department required the standing desk, leading to its removal from Rinehart's workspace. When she requested another standing desk and offered medical documentation this time, Lett insisted on seeing the doctor's note. Rinehart promptly provided it that same day. The note detailed her condition and specified that accommodations like a standing desk and private office were necessary for managing her disability.
Despite providing the required documentation, Rinehart alleges that Fermi Research Alliance failed to accommodate her needs adequately. She claims that this lack of accommodation led to increased flare-ups of her condition. On March 12, 2024—amidst severe flare-ups—Rinehart was terminated due to alleged attendance issues. She contends that these attendance issues were directly related to her disability and had requested additional accommodations such as working from home during this period.
The lawsuit outlines three counts against Fermi Research Alliance: disability-based discrimination under the ADA for treating Rinehart less favorably than other employees without disabilities; failure to accommodate by not providing reasonable adjustments despite being aware of her condition; and retaliation for engaging in protected activities by requesting accommodations.
Rinehart is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life caused by unlawful termination. She also seeks coverage for legal fees and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The case is being handled by Nathan C. Volheim from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while it will be presided over by an assigned judge in the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:24-cv-07793.