A former employee is taking legal action against a California corporation, alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. On February 18, 2025, Phillip Follmer filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, against St. Francis Marine Center. The lawsuit claims multiple violations under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), including discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate disabilities, and wrongful termination.
Phillip Follmer's legal battle began after he was hired by St. Francis Marine Center in November 2023. He disclosed to his employer that his wife had serious health issues requiring regular medical attention and that he would need time off weekly to care for her. Additionally, Follmer himself has physical limitations affecting his ability to walk and lift heavy items, which he communicated to his employer while requesting reasonable accommodations like an ergonomic chair. However, according to the complaint, these requests were either ignored or inadequately addressed by providing a padded stool instead of a proper chair.
The situation escalated when Follmer was terminated on March 1, 2024, allegedly due to attendance issues linked to his caregiving responsibilities. The lawsuit argues that this termination was discriminatory and retaliatory because it followed Follmer's requests for accommodations and time off related to his wife's medical needs and his own disabilities. The complaint states that "Employer discriminated, harassed, retaliated against, and wrongfully terminated Mr. Plaintiff because of his disability" among other reasons.
Follmer accuses St. Francis Marine Center of failing to engage in a good faith interactive process required by law to discuss possible accommodations for employees with disabilities. He asserts that despite being able to perform essential job duties with reasonable adjustments, the company did not make any effort to facilitate such accommodations or even discuss them meaningfully.
In response to these grievances, Follmer seeks compensatory damages exceeding $250,000 for lost wages and benefits along with general damages for emotional distress caused by the alleged unlawful actions of the employer. Furthermore, he demands punitive damages aimed at punishing the defendants for their conduct as well as injunctive relief prohibiting future discriminatory practices within the company.
Representing Phillip Follmer is attorney Liliuokalani Martin from Downtown L.A. Law Group LLP. The case has been assigned Case No: CGC-25-622962 in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Francisco.