Anisha Queen, an attorney at Brown, Goldstein & Levy, has negotiated a settlement for former Sprint store employee, Lynnette Jackson. Ms. Jackson, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 19, worked for Sprint at its store in Columbia, Maryland, from January 2018 until February 2019. During this time, Ms. Jackson was commended for her performance by her managers and customers and recognized as someone with potential to serve as a supervisor or manager at Sprint. Yet, in February 2019, just three weeks after Ms. Jackson applied for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, less than three weeks after she was approved for FMLA leave, and just four days after she first exercised her right to take FMLA leave because of her MS, Sprint fired her. In February 2021, Anisha filed a lawsuit on Ms. Jackson’s behalf, alleging that Ms. Jackson was wrongfully discharged and retaliated against for taking FMLA leave because of her MS in violation of Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the FMLA.
Following months of discovery, including written discovery, eight depositions, and multiple discovery disputes—all of which were decided in Ms. Jackson’s favor—Sprint filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the Court should dismiss all of Ms. Jackson’s claims. Initially, in an April 2022 opinion, the Court denied Sprint summary judgment on Ms. Jackson’s retaliation claims under the ADA and FMLA but granted Sprint summary judgment on Ms. Jackson’s wrongful discharge claim under the ADA. On behalf of Ms. Jackson, Anisha filed a rare motion to reconsider. In a 15-page opinion in October, the Court reversed course, found in Ms. Jackson’s favor, and denied Sprint summary judgment on Ms. Jackson’s wrongful discharge claim.
Shortly after Judge Bennett’s opinion permitting Ms. Jackson to go forward on all three of her claims, and less than two weeks before trial, the parties settled the case.
“Throughout the case, Anisha did an amazing job that resulted in our case getting stronger and stronger as it went along,” says BGL partner Andrew Freeman.