Attorneys for a former employee of Molina Healthcare Inc. filed suit against the company in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles. Molina Healthcare operates healthcare facilities throughout California and several other states and is headquartered in Long Beach, California. A copy of the operative complaint may be found here.
The complaint details an extensive campaign of anti-Muslim harassment and discrimination against the plaintiff, Samia Saeed, a Muslim-American citizen who immigrated to the United States as a young child. The anti-Muslim harassment and discrimination allegedly culminated in plaintiff’s involuntary termination after she complained about the mistreatment.
According to the complaint, Ms. Saeed’s supervisors and many of her coworkers relentlessly ridiculed her because of her religion and ethnic origin. Examples of the alleged mistreatment include: (a) defacing Ms. Saeed’s religious calendar with anti-Muslim images and offensive comments; (b) announcing during a group meeting that Ms. Saeed, like all Muslims, wears a “suicide vest;” (c) tossing Ms. Saeed a simulated fake “backpack bomb;” (d) subjecting Ms. Saeed to anti-Muslim YouTube videos; and (e) excluding Ms. Saeed from the office holiday party in the conference room after the San Bernardino massacre. The alleged acts were done to embarrass and humiliate Ms. Saeed, as well as to amuse her coworkers as they laughed at her reactions to the offenses.
Ms. Saeed is represented by Markson Pico LLP. “The treatment that our client allegedly endured is nothing less than shocking,” said Markson. “Recent global events and the hostile anti-Muslim rhetoric in our public discourse has its consequences. One is the false notion that anti-Muslim bigotry in the workplace is somehow acceptable. It’s not. And our job to enforce the laws that protect workers like Ms. Saeed and to hold Molina Healthcare accountable.”