A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a hospital, alleging discrimination and retaliation in violation of federal laws. Dimitra Drakes filed the complaint on November 26, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Saint Anthony Hospital. The case centers around claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Dimitra Drakes, who worked as a medical coding specialist at Saint Anthony Hospital since December 2009, alleges that she faced discrimination due to her disability, spinal stenosis. According to the complaint, despite being qualified to perform her job with reasonable accommodations, Drakes was not provided such accommodations by her employer. The situation escalated when Drakes sought medical leave under FMLA in June 2024 after undergoing several medical procedures including bilateral hip replacement surgery. The hospital's doctor prematurely cleared her to return to work without proper consultation or consideration of her medical condition, which led to a halt in her medical benefits.
Drakes claims that after expressing readiness to return to work and providing necessary documentation, Saint Anthony Hospital delayed her reinstatement. Despite multiple follow-ups from Drakes, she received no updates until she discovered her termination on October 9, 2024. This abrupt termination came without prior notice and resulted in an immediate loss of health insurance coverage.
The lawsuit accuses Saint Anthony Hospital of failing to engage in an interactive process required by ADA to accommodate disabilities and retaliating against Drakes for exercising her rights under ADA and FMLA. Drakes argues that other non-disabled employees did not face similar treatment and believes her termination was retaliatory for taking disability-related leave.
In terms of relief, Dimitra Drakes seeks back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, loss of benefits recovery, attorneys' fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any additional relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Dimitra Drakes are attorneys Nathan C. Volheim and Mally L. Slone from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard, Illinois. The case is identified as Case No.: 1:24-cv-12177.