A former employee has taken legal action against her previous employer, alleging a series of discriminatory practices and wrongful termination. The complaint was filed by C. Vargas on March 19, 2025, in the Superior Court for the State of California, County of San Francisco, against Health Link, a California Corporation.
The lawsuit outlines a troubling narrative of alleged discrimination based on disability and sex, retaliation, and wrongful termination following Vargas's pregnancy announcement in March 2024. Initially hired as an Executive Assistant to the CEO in June 2022, Vargas quickly rose through the ranks to become Operations Manager within six months due to her exemplary performance. Her salary saw significant increases as she consistently met or exceeded expectations. However, upon disclosing her pregnancy in March 2024, tensions began to rise with her employer. Despite receiving another positive performance review and a raise in June 2024, discussions about maternity leave arrangements became contentious. Although initially promised financial assistance for childcare and remote work options postpartum, these promises were rescinded by September 2024.
In October 2024, just weeks before her due date, Vargas was informed that her position would be advertised during her maternity leave—a move that sowed seeds of doubt about her job security despite reassurances from the CEO. Upon attempting to return to work in January 2025 after maternity leave, she was told that her role was no longer a good fit due to alleged performance issues that she disputes. These included clerical errors and payroll discrepancies which she claims were resolved prior to her departure or not attributable solely to her actions.
Vargas accuses Health Link of violating multiple sections of the California Government Code §12940 by engaging in discrimination based on disability (her pregnancy), sex discrimination, retaliation for opposing discriminatory practices, failing to prevent such discrimination and harassment from occurring, failing to accommodate her needs related to pregnancy and childbirth under California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave Law [Government Code §12945 (A)], and violations under California’s Healthy Workplaces Act (Labor Code §§245.5-246.5). She asserts that these actions led not only to economic losses but also severe emotional distress.
In seeking justice through this lawsuit, Vargas demands general damages for lost earnings and benefits as well as punitive damages aimed at penalizing Health Link for their alleged conduct. Additionally sought are compensatory damages for emotional distress suffered due to what she describes as extreme and outrageous behavior by supervisory employees acting with malice towards her rights.
Representing Vargas is attorney Daniel Feder from The Law Office of Daniel Feder located at Montgomery Street Suite 1019 in San Francisco; meanwhile representing Health Link remains undisclosed at this time given unknown identities named as DOES 1 through 50 inclusive within this case CGC-25-623474 presided over by judges yet unnamed pending further proceedings scheduled ahead.