Pregnant Social Worker Sues Former Employer For Abusive Termination

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Plaintiff, a pregnant social worker, filed an action against defendants, a health center, a corporation, and an administrator, alleging recklessness, defamation, and other causes of action. Defendants moved to strike many of the counts.

The social worker was hired for a position at the health center. The social worker alleged that after she expressed her negative experiences with the administrator to other employees, the administrator screamed at her and took other threatening actions during a meeting. The administrator terminated the social worker's employment. The court granted the motion to strike as to the social worker's recklessness claims. Even if the administrator was aware that the social worker was pregnant at the time of the incident, and that his verbal assault might distress her, berating an employee while terminating them was hardly an extreme departure from ordinary care or a situation where a high degree of danger was apparent. The motion to strike was denied as to the defamation counts. The pregnant social worker sufficiently alleged that the administrator published a false statement about her by preparing a termination evaluation form which cited insubordination as the grounds for termination, and alleged that she did not engage in conduct that could be called insubordinate, and that the administrator intentionally, recklessly, and maliciously labeled her conduct as such.

Defendants' motion to strike was granted as to counts 1, 3 through 10, 13, 18 through 23, and those portions of counts 28 and 29 relating to the claims set forth in counts one, seven, ten, thirteen, fifteen, eighteen and twenty-one. The motion to strike was denied as to counts 11, 12, 15 through 17, 24, 25, and those portions of counts 28 and 29 relating to counts 2, 14, 24, and 25.

At Maya Murphy, P.C., our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to achieving the best results for individuals and their family members and loved ones whose daily lives have been disrupted by injury, whether caused by a motor vehicle or pedestrian accident, a slip and fall, medical malpractice, a defective product, or otherwise. Our attorneys are not afraid to aggressively pursue and litigate cases and have extensive experience litigating personal injury matters in both state and federal courts, and always with regard to the unique circumstances of our client and the injury he or she has sustained.

Please contact Joseph C. Maya, Esq., at 203-221-3100, or at JMaya@mayalaw.com, to schedule a free consultation.

Source: Wilk v. Abbott Terrace Health Ctr., Inc., 2007 Conn. Super. LEXIS 220 (Conn. Super. Ct. August 15, 2007)