Truist Bank in North Carolina is facing a lawsuit filed by a former employee, Debra Jones. According to her allegations, her manager had placed a Chucky doll in her chair even though it was known to all that she had a doll phobia and was extremely scared of them.
As she was already suffering from depression and anxiety along with an autoimmune disorder at the time of joining, she claims that her mental health condition was worsened by the incident.
The sight of the doll had caused a psychological reaction within her that required immediate treatment, which in turn affected her attendance at work. She was undergoing training at that time and the episode had disrupted the same. Instead of trying to understand her problem and being sympathetic, the manager, Jones alleged, laughed at her reaction. As a result of the trauma, her pre-existing conditions also flared up causing her to be put on an eight-week medical leave.
She was treated for post-traumatic disorder (PTSD), and when she returned to work she was assigned a new manager. She was permitted to leave at 3 p.m. thrice a week as per her treatment schedule for her autoimmune disorder. But Jones alleges that she was discriminated against at work due to her disabilities. Being qualified she faced retaliation too.
Jones accuses her manager of making offensive jokes and reprimanding her more than others in the workforce in case of an error.
Later on, she was told that the special permission she was given to accommodate her treatment schedule was becoming inconvenient for everyone else and that she should consider leaving. Jones claims that she was accused of using her anxiety issues and mental condition as an excuse at work and that if she did not stop doing so she would be terminated. This caused her to suffer panic attacks frequently, especially after meetings with managers, which caused her to undergo treatment yet again. Finally, she was told to leave, which Jones claims, is rather unfair.
She now wants to be compensated for the mental anguish caused to her and for the breach of her rights as a disabled employee.
