Wanling Weng, a former employee of a major technology company, has filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. The complaint was filed on January 3, 2025, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara against ServiceNow, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Weng claims that her dismissal was rooted in discriminatory practices based on her race, national origin, and medical conditions.
According to the court documents, Wanling Weng began working as a Senior UI/UX Designer for ServiceNow on August 30, 2021. Her employment was terminated on December 31, 2023. Weng asserts that she was an exemplary employee but faced discrimination after taking leave for fertility treatments starting in February 2023. Her situation worsened when she sought additional leave under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) to care for her mother who had been diagnosed with a serious health condition and to address her own anxiety issues exacerbated by these circumstances.
Weng's complaint details how she informed ServiceNow about her need for leave on November 20, 2023. She applied for CFRA-protected leave the following day. However, while her application was pending, she was abruptly terminated on December 5, 2023. The company cited "communication issues" as the reason for her dismissal—a claim Weng believes is pretextual and rooted in racial bias due to her Asian heritage and non-native English accent.
The lawsuit accuses ServiceNow of multiple violations under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and CFRA. These include discrimination based on disability and race, failure to accommodate her medical needs, retaliation for seeking protected leave, interference with CFRA rights, and wrongful termination in violation of public policy. Weng argues that ServiceNow's actions were fraudulent and maliciously disregarded its own policies meant to prevent such discriminatory practices.
In terms of relief sought from the court, Wanling Weng demands general damages within jurisdictional limits along with special damages proven at trial. She seeks punitive damages due to the alleged malicious conduct by ServiceNow’s management. Additionally, Weng requests compensation for lost earnings and medical expenses incurred due to emotional distress caused by the wrongful acts of the defendants. She also seeks attorney fees under California Government Code §12965(b), prejudgment interest as allowed by law, costs associated with bringing forth this suit, declaratory relief affirming her rights under FEHA/CFRA laws violated by ServiceNow’s actions; injunctive relief preventing further violations; liquidated damages; reinstatement if deemed appropriate; along with any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Wanling Weng is D. Aaron Brock from Brock & Gonzales LLP law firm based in Los Angeles. The case is identified under Case No.: 250V455602 in front of judges from Santa Clara County Superior Court.