In a gripping legal battle, an individual has taken on a significant public transportation authority, alleging severe workplace discrimination and retaliation. Ashley Winston-Thurmond filed a complaint against the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, on November 12, 2024. The lawsuit accuses the VTA and several of its employees of violating multiple employment laws.
Ashley Winston-Thurmond, an African-American woman and former employee of the VTA, alleges that she was subjected to racial discrimination and harassment due to her disability following a traumatic event at work. She claims that after surviving a mass shooting at her workplace on May 26, 2021, she developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Despite informing her employer about her condition, she alleges that no accommodations were made for her mental health needs. Her supervisors allegedly retaliated against her for reporting discriminatory practices within the organization. The complaint details instances where Ashley reported another manager for making racist comments during the hiring process. Following these reports, she faced ongoing harassment and was eventually forced to resign from her position in August 2024.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include Maria Chavez, Dionna Smith, Rosa Barreiro, and fifty unnamed individuals referred to as "Does." The complaint outlines numerous allegations against these individuals and the VTA itself. These include discrimination based on race and disability in violation of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), retaliation for complaining about harassment and discrimination, whistleblower retaliation under Labor Code sections 98.6 and 1102.5, failure to engage in an interactive accommodation process or provide reasonable accommodations for Ashley's PTSD, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and failure to produce pay records as required by law.
Winston-Thurmond is seeking compensatory damages for lost income and benefits due to her forced resignation. She also seeks damages for emotional distress caused by the alleged discriminatory actions of her former employer. Additionally, she is requesting punitive damages against individual defendants for their malicious conduct towards her. Furthermore, she demands attorney fees incurred during this legal process.
Representing Ashley Winston-Thurmond is Erik J. Christensen from Gold Summit Legal Inc., located in San Francisco. The case has been assigned Case ID 24CV451549 with Judge Y. Chavez presiding over it.