A woman filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court this week, claiming that her employer forced her off of the company’s health insurance plan after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and then fired her after she complained about it.
Deborah Harrington worked as the director of marketing for Michael Quinlan, Inc., a small Chicago company named after its president and CEO, Michael Quinlan, from September 2008 to September 2013, according to the suit.
Around September 2010, when Harrington learned that she had an abnormal mammogram, the suit said, Quinlan began pressuring her to get off of the company’s group health insurance policy. Quinlan forced her off the policy the next month, according to the suit, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed treatment.
When Harrington missed time from work for treatments, Quinlan “made derogatory and disparaging comments” about her cancer and need for treatment, according to the suit.
Around January through August 2013, she requested the same health care benefits Quinlan offered to all his employees, according to the suit. At that time, the suit said, Quinlan knew she had two more years of Tamoxifen treatments and oncology appointments.
Around Aug. 28, Quinlan became angry with her for complaining about not being on the insurance policy, according to the suit, saying that insurance costs would be much higher with her on the policy. Quinlan then fired Harrington, the suit claims. The suit claims that the company was not experiencing financial difficulties at the time, and Harrington performed all of her duties in a satisfactory manner and had never been disciplined.
Harrington is suing for disability discrimination and retaliation.
Michael Chance, a lawyer for Quinlan and his company, said they will defend themselves against the charges leveled by Harrington.
“It is our position that the allegations regarding discrimination based on disability and retaliatory discharge have no basis in fact and that they are untrue,” according to a statement issued by Chance.