Legal Question in Disability Law in Ohio
Being discriminated against, and I do not know what to do
I am a 24 year old woman with fibromyalgia, and have been subjected to treatment by my supervisor that I believe is abusive and discriminatory. My supervisor has called me ''stupid'' and told me that she ''cannot believe that I finished college'' as well as chastised me for refusing physical activity that would worsen my condition. She also remarked, after I began taking a new medication, that I could now go to a conference because she ''couldn't even think of sending'' me when my disease was worse. I know that I am none of the things that she alleges, after all, I graduated school with honors, and her treatment of me give me a lot of stress, making the disease worse. In a three months strech of time when she was particularly bad, I lost 35lbs and have not been able to gain it back. I've told her all of this, but she has payed no attention to it. I do not know what to do. Her treatment is negatively impacting my health, and I do not believe that any worker, abled or disabled, should be treated like this. What should I do to be treated with respect?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Being discriminated against, and I do not know what to do
Your company ought to have some type of discrimination complaint procedure. Some larger companies have an 800 number; others permit complaints to be made to human resources. If your company doesn't have anything like this, you should talk to a local employment law attorney about filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. One problem you may have is that many people don't consider fibromyalgia to be a "real" condition.
You are clearly in a tough situation, but stand up for your rights. The EEOC may be your only viable choice.