J&J allegedly fires its own HR manager over disability request

The complaint calls the stated reasons for termination “false and pretextual,” pointing to the strong performance review and full bonus from January 2026, and the supervisor’s own April 3 confirmation that she had no issues with the worker’s performance. The concerns cited at termination, the filing notes, predated both.

According to the complaint, J&J sent the worker a separation agreement with a general release of claims after the meeting. She refused to sign.

She filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC on September 4, 2026, and received a right-to-sue notice on September 29, 2026. The lawsuit seeks back pay, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, reinstatement, liquidated damages under the FMLA, and attorneys’ fees.

For HR teams, the timeline here is hard to ignore: a clean performance record, a disability disclosure, an accommodation denial, FMLA leave, and a termination one month after the return – all in the space of six months.

The allegations in the complaint have not been tested, and no court has made any findings or rulings on the merits.