Cortney Warren has filed a lawsuit against OneDigital Medicare Services, LLC, alleging severe violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on October 10, 2024. Warren accuses her former employer of discrimination based on her disability, failure to accommodate her needs, harassment, and retaliation.
The lawsuit stems from a series of events that began when Warren was employed as a Licensed Health Insurance Broker by OneDigital Medicare Services in September 2022. Despite her chronic asthma—a condition that severely limits her ability to breathe in environments with smoke or vaping—Warren claims she was subjected to indoor smoking and vaping by colleagues starting February 2024. This behavior reportedly occurred in various areas including the men's bathroom, sales floor, break room, and elevators. Despite reporting these incidents multiple times to Human Resources and management between February and August 2024, no corrective action was taken by the company.
Warren's health deteriorated significantly due to exposure at work, leading to hospitalization on August 14 and 15, 2024. Following this ordeal and continued lack of accommodation or action from OneDigital Medicare Services, Warren felt compelled to resign on August 16, 2024. Her resignation is described as a constructive discharge due to intolerable working conditions that endangered her health.
In her complaint, Warren outlines several counts against OneDigital Medicare Services under the ADA: disability-based discrimination, failure to accommodate her disability, harassment based on her disability, and retaliation for requesting accommodations. She asserts that despite being a qualified individual with a disability who met or exceeded job performance expectations, she was treated less favorably than other employees outside her protected class. Furthermore, she accuses the company of willful and reckless disregard for her rights under federal law.
Warren seeks multiple forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay, loss of benefits compensation, compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress suffered due to discrimination and harassment at work. Additionally, she requests reasonable attorneys' fees and costs associated with bringing this case forward.
Representing Cortney Warren is attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., located in Lombard, Illinois. The case is being heard under Case ID: 1:24-cv-09812 in front of judges assigned by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.