A former hospital service assistant is taking legal action against a prominent California county, alleging discrimination and wrongful termination. Ravi Vou filed a complaint on April 15, 2025, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara against the County of Santa Clara. The lawsuit accuses the county of several violations related to disability discrimination and failure to provide reasonable accommodations.
Ravi Vou's employment with the County of Santa Clara began on March 1, 2019, at St. Louise Regional Hospital. However, her career took a turn after an accident on October 9, 2021, left her with significant injuries requiring medical restrictions. Despite these challenges, Vou claims that the county initially accommodated her condition through a modified duty program starting December 22, 2021. Yet this arrangement was abruptly terminated by February 9, 2022, when she was informed that no further accommodations would be made unless she could return without any restrictions. This decision effectively placed her in non-working status and set off a series of events leading to her alleged wrongful termination.
Vou asserts that she exhausted all administrative remedies by filing complaints with both the California Civil Rights Department and under the California Tort Claims Act. Her grievances include accusations against the county for failing to engage in an interactive process or provide reasonable accommodations as required by law. "The COUNTY refused to accommodate her for these restrictions," states the complaint, highlighting how this refusal continued into subsequent years despite available modified work programs.
The lawsuit details how Vou was pressured into considering early disability retirement due to her inability to work without restrictions—a move she resisted as it wasn't voluntary but rather imposed by circumstance. In July 2024, facing potential involuntary discharge if she did not comply with returning restriction-free or opting for retirement, Vou found herself effectively terminated from employment.
Seeking justice through the court system, Ravi Vou demands general damages alongside special and economic loss damages while also pursuing compensation for attorney fees and other related costs. Her legal representation is led by Michael H. Kim from Michael H. Kim P.C., who filed this case under Case No. 25CV463523 before Judge T. Phan.