Helia Healthcare, doing business as Doctors Nursing Rehabilitation Center, violated federal laws by subjecting a licensed practical nurse to sexual harassment by a supervisor, failing to accommodate a short medical leave of absence, and then retaliating against her for reporting the harassment, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit. According to the suit, a nurse who worked at Helia’s rehabilitation center in Salem, Illinois, was sexually harassed by the director of nursing, which included unwanted physical contact, and she reported the harassment to management. Also, when the nurse needed a short leave of absence in connection with planned foot surgery, Helia failed to provide leave or make any other accommodation. Instead, the company told her the only option was to quit and reapply for her job, if available. After the employee stated that she believed the failure to accommodate her leave of absence was retaliation for her sexual harassment complaints, Helia banned her from the premises, the EEOC said. Such alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment. It also violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability.
