Plaintiff alleges medical device giant violated ADA through discriminatory practices

A former employee of a major healthcare company has filed a lawsuit alleging disability discrimination and retaliation. The complaint was filed by Jessica Mayhew in the United States District Court for the District of Maine on March 3, 2025, against Abbott Laboratories, Inc. Mayhew accuses her former employer of violating several laws designed to protect individuals with disabilities.

The case revolves around Mayhew’s tenure at Abbott Laboratories as a Quality Assurance Specialist, during which she claims to have faced significant challenges due to her disabilities—PTSD, anxiety, and syncope. According to the complaint, these conditions were exacerbated by an attack from her therapist and led to increased anxiety and fainting spells. Despite informing her supervisor about her condition and reaching out for accommodations such as remote work or a change in desk location to prevent being startled from behind, Mayhew alleges that Abbott failed to provide reasonable accommodations. Instead, she was met with dismissive attitudes from Human Resources personnel and was advised to use noise-canceling headphones or place an orange flag at her desk—solutions she deemed ineffective.

Mayhew also highlights instances where she felt discriminated against compared to other colleagues who were allowed more flexible working arrangements despite corporate policies. Her attempts to secure accommodations through official channels were allegedly met with condescension and disregard. Furthermore, Mayhew claims that her performance evaluations did not reflect her contributions accurately due to bias stemming from her disability status.

The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court, including compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress, punitive damages for willful violations of the law, attorney’s fees, and injunctive relief. She asserts that Abbott’s actions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), and the Maine Whistleblower Protection Act (MWPA). The lawsuit underscores allegations of both discrimination based on disability and retaliation for requesting necessary accommodations.

Representing Mayhew are attorneys Laura H. White and Danielle Quinlan from White & Quinlan LLC. The case has been assigned Case No. 1:26-cv-01431 in front of the District Court in Maine.