WILLIAMSON — A former employee is suing Logan-Mingo Area Mental Health for retaliation and violations of the West Virginia Human Rights Act.
Jillian Carolla was employed as a nurse and made $25 per hour at Logan-Mingo Area Mental Health, where she worked between 40 and 50 hours per week, according to a complaint filed in Mingo Circuit Court.
Carolla claims when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, she began to suffer medical issues related to depression, stress and anxiety and sought treatment for those medical issues.
The plaintiff's medical provider suggested she go on leave through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and she was to be out from Jan. 29 until March 26, however, she was informed on Jan. 28, that she needed to submit medical documentation, which she did so, but Melinda Thompson, who worked in Human Resources, was not satisfied with the paperwork.
Carolla claims Thompson required her to get a second opinion, which she did. On March 3, Carolla went to her office to collect personal items that she wanted to have at home during her time off work and discovered that her office had been reassigned.
When Carolla attempted to return to work, she was told she couldn't return to work until a psychiatric provider released her to return to work. She was then forced to quit in lieu of being terminated from her employment, according to the suit.
Carolla is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented by Nathan D. Brown and Joshua S. Ferrell of Ferrell & Brown.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Miki Thompson.
Mingo Circuit Court case number: 21-C-47
